Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29th, the city of Aspen will be enforcing the mandatory wearing of face masks within the city limits in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19.

While Pitkin County, in which Aspen is located, has only reported 61 confirmed cases, other counties with ski resorts such as Eagle, and Gunnison counties, have seen alarming numbers of infected persons.

The fine for being caught in a public place without a face mask will initially be $50, then $250 for a consequent offense, followed by a court date with a punishment up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2650.

Some exclusions include children under two years old and those in which wearing a mask might do more good than harm to their health.

It's alarming to me how many people in Eagle County have contracted the virus, as there aren't a ton of people that live there. In fact, I grew up in the small town of Eagle, which has roughly 1/10 of the population of Grand Junction.

In addition, I have a lot of family in Gunnison which has also seen alarming numbers of confirmed cases, most of which are blamed on tourists visiting Crested Butte ski resort near the beginning of the outbreak.

While these measures put into place by Aspen may seem extreme, I do understand where they're coming from. Honestly, I feel like Pitkin County is actually lucky compared to other ski towns in Colorado, and I understand why they're doing what they're doing.

[CBS Denver]

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