GREAT FALLS — The City-County Health Department in Great Falls on Wednesday formally adopted the state-wide mask mandate issued by Governor Steve Bullock last week.
Bullock announced last Wednesday a state-wide directive requiring face coverings in Montana, effective immediately, in all counties that have four or more active cases of COVID-19, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Click here for details about the directive.
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CCHD health officer Trisha Gardner says the CCHD will accept calls of noncompliance from anyone in the public and look into those reports. Gardner explained the process of handling the reports: “We investigate those and then try to work with the business owners, educate them, bring them into compliance where we can and of course when necessary, then down the line if we continue to get non-compliance, we'll work with law enforcement and the attorneys to pursue a legal avenue.”
A different set of procedures apply to individuals who fail to comply with the mandate. “The business has the right to, of course, refuse service to those individuals. If they continue to be belligerent or refuse to leave the business...of course businesses have the ability to call on law enforcement in those cases and can actually put what is known as a trespass in place, which can lead to both fines and other criminal charges for the individual,” she explained.
CCHD asks that you call them at 406-454-6950 or email CCHD at health@cascadecountymt.gov to report any cases of non-compliance; you should not call 911, the police, or the Sheriff's Office, as these reports are not considered emergencies.
