Appearing "Suspicious" Or Covering Mouth A Real Fear For Some During Pandemic

PATCH - (CBS Detroit)

There is no criminal penalty for not wearing a face mask in public in Michigan, but businesses and venues can refuse people entry for it.

People visit a shopping mall in Medan, North Sumatra, on May 27, 2020, amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by AHMAD RIDWAN NASUTION / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD RIDWAN NASUTION/AFP via Getty Images)

There is no criminal penalty for failing to wear a face mask in public spaces in Michigan, but businesses and venues can refuse people entrance without one, per Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's mask order that went into effect late in April.

State and federal health officials have stressed that face masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. At businesses like banks or grocery stores, everyone is expected to wear a mask, a standard set in several states during the pandemic. White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said in an interview last week that there's scientific evidence that wearing a mask indoors reduces the spread of respiratory droplets that may contain the virus.

Triage Nurse Roberto Dones wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), including a face mask and a plastic apron as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, poses with a thermometer used to measure the temperature of patient arriving at the A&E Emergency Department at Wexham Park Hospital, part of the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, near Slough, west of London on May 22, 2020. - Britain's number of deaths "involving" the coronavirus has risen to 46,000, substantially higher than the 36,914 fatalities officially reported so far, according to a statistical update released Tuesday. (Photo by Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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