Charlestown Residents Required To Wear Masks

CHARLESTOWN, MA — Everyone in Charlestown will be required to wear a face covering or mask when going out in public next week, whether indoors or outdoors if you can't maintain safe physical distance from others, according to an executive order signed by Gov. Charlie Baker Friday.

This means anyone riding public transportation, in retail or grocery stores or otherwise in public places where it's not possible to always stay 6 feet away must wear a face covering or risk a $300 fine. It also means a business can deny entry to anyone who refuses to wear a face covering.

That order goes into effect May 6. and applies to anyone older than 2 unless someone is medically exempt.

Baker had previously said the decision on whether to require face coverings should be left up to individual municipalities, several of which put it into practice in recent weeks.

Wearing masks in populated public places may help slow the spread of the virus, according to Centers for Disease Control. And the effort will be key to reopening the state, Baker said.

"Covering our faces when we cannot practice social distancing is an easy, critically important, and essential step that everyone can and should take to stop or slow the spread [of the virus]," Baker said during his daily news conference. "We view this as common sense."

RELATED: MA Residents Required To Wear Masks: Gov. Baker