NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — National City residents will be required to wear face coverings in public beginning Thursday.

City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to enact an emergency order that will require the community to wear face coverings anytime they leave their home and are in public.

The ordinance will take effect at midnight.

“Nobody wants to be told what to do, but our community has been so responsive,” said Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis.

Sotelo-Solis said city leaders made the decision after an increase in coronavirus cases in the last two weeks.

According to San Diego County officials, National City has at least 70 positive cases of COVID-19 so far.

The mayor attributes the rise in cases to increase testing and the large number of people who are essential workers.

“A lot of our people are hospital staff or working at the grocery story,” said Sotelo-Solis. “So this policy will strengthen their protection for them as well as their families.”

The order is in effect until the state’s stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.