Miami is cracking down on residents that are not complying with the city’s face mask order.

The city is issuing $100 fines for a first offense and a $500 fine for a second offense with repeat offense resulting in possible jail time. The penalties went into effect on Wednesday.

Both Miami and Miami Beach have issued face mask mandates to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, which Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said is effective.

“We’re seeing some early evidence that the mask in public rule is working, and we want to make sure it’s being adopted universally in our population,” Suarez said Thursday on CNN’s “New Day.”

Miami is enforcing the face mask mandate through city police officers, with money collected from the fines possibly going to support small businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Suarez suggested.

Florida has over 379,600 positive cases of the coronavirus and over 5,300 COVID-19 deaths, Johns Hopkins University said.

People in Miami wear face masks, as Florida reports record number of new cases of the coronavirus.
People in Miami wear face masks, as Florida reports record number of new cases of the coronavirus. AFPTV / Antoni BELCHI
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