Riverside Co. Sheriff Chad Bianco says his department will fine and/or arrest people for not wearing a mask in his county.
Bianco released a video Monday night stating that this is a “valid order and enforceable by fine, imprisonment or both.”
Ironically, in an apparent attempt to stem criticism, the sheriff also claimed his department will “not be setting up any type of police state and this is not a declaration of martial law in Riverside County.”
The county of nearly 2.5 million, which is part of the ‘Inland Empire’ of Southern California east of LA, has attributed around 25 deaths to the coronavirus, the Gateway Pundit reported.
“Not everybody’s getting the message It started with staying at home, social distance and covering your face,” the sheriff added. “But now we change from saying that you should to saying that you must.”