It’s been two weeks since Nevada City joined over 20 cities and counties around California with ordinances that can fine people for not wearing a mask. But like most of them, Police Chief Chad Ellis says they have no plans for a punitive approach. He says, with no parking tickets being issued, to help local businesses during the pandemic, officers who’d been assigned to do that have shifted to handing out masks to people not in compliance. And he says it’s been a successful and effective approach…

Ellis says law enforcement is also concerned about violent push backs…

Grass Valley has never considered such an ordinance. And earlier this fall, Nevada County Supervisors voted against an ordinance that would have imposed huge fines on local businesses not complying with state health guidelines. Ellis says the city of Monterey has cited dozens of people over the last several months. But otherwise, he says such enforcement is “very, very uncommon”, as he puts it.