Beginning Friday, the use of face coverings are required by all members of the public using essential retail businesses, says Mayor Curt Leng.
Those businesses include grocery stores and big-box stores or wholesale clubs that also sell foods or beverages; restaurants and hotels where food is prepared, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor/package stores and related.
The executive order says that business owners can refuse customers' entrance to establishments if not wearing face coverings.
Mayor Leng also said that all employers in Hamden operating an essential retail business must provide all workers with face-coverings, and said face-coverings must be worn at all times while working.
The order says that face coverings don't have to be medical-grade masks or N95 respirators, but be non-medical grade masks, cloth masks, or other fabric coverings to ensure that the supply of medical masks and first responder masks are available for the people who need them.
All workers required to wear these face coverings must wash any reusable ones at least once a day. Single-use face coverings must be properly discarded into trash receptacles and disposed of.
Mayor Leng said in a statement: “This is not our normal behavior, but for the sake of public health and safety ...to save lives, it is not too much to ask. We all have a friend or loved one who is in a high-risk category or is immunocompromised. Let’s make the smart decisions together as a community and take the precautions needed to protect those close to us, as well as our friends and neighbors. Wearing a facial covering protects your neighbors, your mom, dad, brother, and sister, and it keeps our community safer and stronger. One day, we will get past these strange and dark times. But for now, we’ve got to be mindful - and frankly, we all have to care enough and give a damn to make a difference, and I know that’s what our community can rally behind. ”
Hamden joins New Haven in issuing an executive order on face coverings.
Governor Lamont is expected to sign an executive order related to face coverings at some point by the end of the week.