So far, no one in Greensboro has received a citation, fine or penalty for violating any of the numerous COVID-19 restrictions.
No restaurant or retail establishment has been fined for being over the reduced occupancy limits, or for not having their employees and customers wear masks. No one has been cited or fined for not wearing a mask in their own home, although that can be a violation.
On Friday, Nov. 20, Mayor Nancy Vaughan issued an emergency declaration setting fines and penalties for violating the COVID-19 restrictions that included closing a business for 72 hours for repeated violations.
There was a problem with that emergency declaration by Vaughan because Vaughan as mayor didn’t have the authority to impose fines and penalties on the people of Greensboro for violating executive orders.
The Greensboro City Council came through and on Dec. 1 amended ordinances that went into effect immediately that classified violations of the executive orders as a public nuisance and set the fines and penalties for those violations.
So the emergency order issued on Nov. 20 actually didn’t go into effect until that Dec. 1 because, before the City Council amended the ordinances, Vaughan’s emergency declaration setting fines and civil penalties could not be enforced.
However, despite the fact that Vaughan’s emergency declaration had no effect on enforcement, it did have an effect before City Council action.
On Monday, Nov. 23, Vaughan was invited by Cooper to participate in his televised press conference. Vaughan was the only mayor in the state invited to speak at that press conference.
At that press conference Cooper announced another executive order to tighten the restrictions for wearing masks, including requiring people to wear masks in their own homes if people from outside the home are present, requiring people in bars and restaurants to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking and requiring people to wear masks when exercising.
Cooper also asked the municipalities and counties to enforce the executive orders with fines and penalties, like Greensboro had done.
So theoretically since Nov. 20, and legally since Dec. 1, Greensboro has been enforcing the COVID-19 executive orders on wearing masks, limits on the size of gatherings, occupancy limits on businesses, but evidently everyone is complying because not one fine or penalty has been issued.
Posturing and virtue signaling while small business (and large) struggle to remain open at all. Fear and heavy handed threats are the tools of oppressive government.
Pho on Spring Garden is filled to capacity every time I eat there or drive by. Just saying.
Good little tattle-tale! Thank you Karen!
This absolutely makes my blood boil, every time I read about our tyrannical leaders pulling this stuff on Americans, and crapping all over our Constitution. It also makes my blood boil when I think of the number of sheep who fall for this.
The ever-loving gall of these people is beyond imagination, to think it’s OK to tell me what I can and can’t do inside of my own home. Uh-uh. Ain’t gonna happen.
1776, people.
“Who is John Galt?”
You know you can’t sleep with your daughter even though it’s in your own home, right? They also tell you that you aren’t allowed to do that, you know?
2020, people.
What are you talking about? Did he say anything about sleeping with his daughter sick-o?
The entire Covid 19 is a game to elected officials. The fact is most will use covid 19 for gain an advantage, lets be honest government knew covid was here before it went public, its all a game.
Safety theater is all this is. This is just some idiotic ruling by Queen Nancy so she can say she is “doing something“. And she gets kudos from Emperor Cooper to boot! You can’t make this stuff up.
Hinson didnt get punished either.
These decrees are unenforceable. And illegal. You cannot legislate people’s behavior. You lead by example.
I find it interesting how the workers in the city get treated vs. the administration. When the Greensboro Public Library prepared to re-open after being initially shut down, staff worked for weeks behind the scenes cleaning and isolating books, sanitizing shelves and so much more. Workers wear masks, use sanitizer, and practice social distancing. If they or anyone else is suspected of being in contact with a person infected with Covid, the workers are told that the building will be closed for sanitation.
When someone working at the main branch, where the administrative offices are, tested positive for covid, the main branch immediately shut down while a special cleaning crew came in and sanitized. The library workers returned a day or so later; the administrative offices remained closed for a week. In the Benjamin Branch, a worker came in but co-workers were concerned and the second day she came in appearing sick, they insisted she go home. She tested positive for Covid. They had been working with her for two days plus whatever incubation period there was; she had been in close contact with patrons, handled materials and books and so forth. When the administration learned she was positive for Covid, they told the remaining staff “everything’s fine; you’ll be fine.” When questioned further, the administration finally said, “Ok, we’ll send a crew in, but it will only take a half-day to clean things up.” They had been told if they EVER felt uncomfortable reporting to work, or in fear of getting sick, they could stay home. When one of the workers said, “I’m not comfortable coming in until a thorough cleaning is done,” the worker was told it would be an unexcused absence. So, where they spent weeks sanitizing the library prior to opening, suddenly, when a KNOWN carrier had been handling materials all over the library, the city decided it was no big deal. But the administrative offices closed and made the library workers come in. The lack of consistency, ineptitude of the director, and unfair treatment of staff is insane.