BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — If you’re going to spend time in Breckenridge, you better get used to the idea of spending time in a mask. The town council passed an ordinance requiring people to wear masks in busy parts of town or face potential fines.
Breckenridge Mayor Eric Mamula said the mandatory mask zones have been set up in busy parts of town marked with signs.
“You can call it the business core: Main Street, Ridge Street, the Gondola base area, Main Street Station, La Cima Mall," Mamula said.
The ordinance requires people to wear masks indoors and outdoors -- even when people can maintain social distance, or face potential fines ranging from $50 to $500.
Community service officers will be on patrol but will start with education over enforcement. Children under 2-years-old, people with health issues or people eating or drinking can go without a mask.
After the first week, town leaders have already seen a difference in those core areas with more people putting masks on.
“I would say compliance with mask wearing went from 70% to over 90%, “said Mamula. "It achieved what the council was striving for."
Town leaders wanted to find a way to keep more people safe but also to make sure a spike didn’t bring a return of business closures and economic hardship.
“No one wants to go back to the days when we were closed for three months," said Mamula. “We need to make sure everyone stays open and we stay open by wearing masks.”
RELATED: These are the places that have opted out of the Tri-County Health Department's mask mandate
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS