Condo residents, face masks and common areas
Should board members make face masks mandatory in lobbies?
Bynow, we all know the basics of coronavirus prevention, regardless of those who are in denial about it. With 7.3 million Americans infected and 208K who died from COVID-19 since March, checking out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have to say about prevention should be mandatory for how people should interact with each other in public. But what should condo board members do for residents who interact privately?
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In an inquiry from the Chicago Tribune (via MSNBC), a condo adviser was asked, “Can a condo board mandate face masks in common areas during COVID-19?” The short answer is “Yes”:
Sec. 18.4. Powers and duties of board of managers. The board of managers shall exercise for the association all powers, duties and authority vested in the association by law or the condominium instruments except for such powers, duties and authority reserved by law to the members of the association. The powers and duties of the board of managers shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following … To provide for the operation, care, upkeep, maintenance, replacement and improvement of the common elements. — Section 18.4(a) of the Condominium Act (Illinois Compiled Statutes)
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Common areas where it’s impossible to be 6 feet apart are the first areas to focus on — elevators, small lobbies and/or basement storage areas. Parking lots, basements and courtyards have more opportunities to move about comfortably. However, even with the latter options, COVID-19 has reportedly been identified as an airborne virus. While it’s easy to create and tape signs to doors and pin boards, health tips can too often be overlooked and/or treated like they’re optional. Depending on how strict board members are (ex. fining condo owners who refuse to participate), educating versus directing may be the safest route.