17 calls, no tickets about face masks in Elgin
Elgin police have responded to 17 calls about people not wearing masks or face coverings since May 1, mostly about individuals who were outside and too close to others.
One call came at about 2:30 a.m. May 5 about a customer refusing to wear a mask at a gas station in the 1100 block of Dundee Avenue, police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton said. The officer spoke with the customer about the Illinois Department of Public Health's guidelines about wearing masks while inside businesses and the customer left without further issue, Hilton said.
"We have not issued any tickets for violations. Officers seek to educate the community as to the importance of complying with social distancing efforts," she said.
The requirement to wear a mask or a face covering when in a public place where a 6-foot social distance can't be maintained started May 1. Face-coverings are required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. The requirement applies to all individuals over age 2 who are able to medically tolerate a mask or face covering.
Police have responded to 256 calls about the stay-at-home order since it went into effect March 20, mostly about groups of people not complying with social distancing in parks or other outdoor places, Hilton said. No tickets have been issued, she said.
Some of the calls were about nonessential businesses staying open, but the exact number couldn't be determined immediately because it requires reading each report, Hilton said.
By March 30, there had been 36 calls regarding nonessential businesses staying open with one violation, although no ticket was issued, Hilton previously said.