Patton Township is once again requiring masks to be worn inside businesses and other places open to the public in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The township’s Board of Supervisors on Monday night approved a temporary emergency ordinance that requires face coverings in places such as businesses and government buildings, as well as on public transit and rideshares and whenever an individual is unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from someone who is not part of their household, whether inside or outside.
Exemptions are granted for medical or religious reasons, for employees working alone, and while eating at a restaurant.
Businesses must post at all entrances that masks are required for entry.
Similar to State College’s ordinance — the only other of its kind currently in effect in Centre County — Patton Township’s requirement will remain in effect until the county drops below the Centers for Disease Control’s “substantial” level, which is defined as fewer than 50 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents.
The CDC scale rates community transmission at four levels: low, moderate, substantial and high. At the substantial and high (100 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days), the CDC recommends all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public indoor settings.
Centre County has been at the highest level of community transmission since Aug. 27 and for the past seven days has a case rate of 1,138 per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
Violations of the ordinance can carry a civil citation and a $100 fine.
Patton Township previously had an ordinance requiring masks in public places from August 2020 through the spring of 2021 and modified it several times during that period. During that time, the police department emphasized education and did not issue any citations, according to Police Chief Tyler Jolley.
When businesses or patrons called about someone not wearing a mask, officers would respond and educate the person about the township ordinance.
“We kind of used it more as an educational piece to encourage them to comply with the ordinance, to let them know that we do have an ordinance here in the township and generally we got cooperation from that,” Jolley said.
Still, Jolley said he was concerned about officers encountering someone who refused to comply and to leave a business.
“Are we asking our cops to then use force, to physically remove this person? One of my concerns is a situation snowballing out of control,” Jolley said.
Board Chair Pamela Robb and Supervisory Elliot Abrams said they felt township officers handled complaints well during the previous ordinance.
“I think the way the chief handled this last time was correct,” Abrams said.
State College police also have “practiced enforcement through education” and no citations have been issued since the borough’s current ordinance was enacted in September.
Township Manager Doug Erickson said “about 80 or 90” public comments about the ordinance were submitted prior to Wednesday’s meeting.
“This board has reviewed each and every email, pros and cons,” Robb said. “I’m looking at it as far as, we’ve gotten reports from the postal service that they’re postal delivery carriers have come down with covid so a lot of the area have not received their mail. As a veteran I can tell you some of the veterans receive their medical prescriptions through the mail. If we don’t take this seriously and help prevent or slow this down through just wearing a mask…”
