During its four-month slog through heated meetings, St. Joseph Countyâs COVID-19 mask fines ordinance stirred up controversy as businesses, already reeling from the pandemic, feared the sting if their workers and customers didnât comply.
The opposition led county public health officials to remove language from the ordinance allowing fines against customers, as well as eliminating the potential for fines against businesses because of non-complying customers. And the ordinance took effect Dec. 4.
Six weeks later, the county health department hasnât issued a single fine under the ordinance, county Health Officer Dr. Robert Einterz said Wednesday in response to The Tribuneâs public records request.
The number of hospitalizations from COVID-19 have dropped significantly from the mid-November surge in St. Joseph County, while the area has seen only a âslight bumpâ in cases in the wake of the holidays, Dr. Mark Fox, the countyâs deputy health officer, said Friday.
Meanwhile, he said more than 8,400 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the county so far, with about 1,400 people having received both of the two doses that are required to be fully vaccinated.
He joined other public officials in giving an update Friday on the countyâs and South Bendâs efforts to deal with the pandemic.