Couple serving food to homeless warned for not wearing masks

A husband and wife serving food to the homeless over the weekend were warned by Dayton Police for not wearing masks.

The warnings were given to the couple on July 3 at around 1 p.m. near the corner of Marathon Avenue and North Main Street, according to public records. The citation warnings say the man put a mask on when asked and another mask was given to the wife by police.

Dayton police called 12 times for possible mask law violations

Dayton police received 12 phone calls over the weekend about possible mask violations, but only the husband and wife were warned. Dayton Police said they received five more calls about possible mask violations on Monday. But no violations were cited.

Dayton’s mask law, which went into effect Friday at 8 a.m., requires face coverings in places including restaurants, bars, businesses, shops, libraries, health care facilities, hotels, motels, gyms and other facilities that are used by or open to the public or outdoor areas where they cannot socially distance.

It was passed unanimously by the city commission last week.

Dayton approves mandatory mask law, cites rapid COVID-19 spread locally

Violators face an $85 penalty that, if unpaid, can lead to a block when renewing a drivers’ license and other consequences. The order is complaint-driven, meaning that police will consider issuing fines if business owners or employees file complaints against visitors and customers. City officials say they do not want citizens to report one another.

Dayton Police said no request for civil citations have been made to the police department.

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