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Winston-Salem Order Could Mean Fines, Jail Time For Mask And Capacity Violations

The city government office building on North Main Street. Winston-Salem City Council is expected to look at potential additional COVID-19 safety measures when it meets in January. KERI BROWN/WFDD

Winston-Salem will enforce mask requirements and capacity limits for businesses laid out in Governor Roy Cooper's recent order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Violators could face fines, even jail time in some cases.

Mayor Allen Joines signed an amended state of emergency declaration that takes effect Wednesday, November 25 at 5 p.m. It reinforces mask mandates and reduced occupancy requirements issued by the state.

The order applies to individuals, offices, organizations, and businesses.

Joines says officers will first try to educate violators, but repeat offenders will be penalized. They could face a Class 2 misdemeanor, 60 days in jail, and a $1,000 fine.

Winston-Salem police and fire departments will issue the citations. The order says revenue from the fines will support Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

The city council is expected to review potential additional enforcement proposals in January.

Earlier this week, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan announced a similar measure.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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