Will Columbia require you to wear a mask to combat coronavirus spread?
Are you wearing a face mask to curb the spread of COVID-19? Pretty soon, you may be required to.
The city of Columbia is asking residents to weigh in on a proposed ordinance that would require residents to wear face masks in many circumstances when they are in public.
Columbia City Council considered a proposed ordinance at Tuesday’s council meeting without taking action. Mayor Steve Benjamin said the council could hold an emergency meeting to adopt the ordinance before its next scheduled meeting on July 7.
Masks would be required for anyone inside a public building or waiting to enter a public building; anyone interacting with someone within six feet in an outdoor space; anyone engaged in business in a private space; using public or private transportation, or walking in public where maintaining a six-foot distance from others may not be possible.
The requirement would apply to anyone in the city limits aged 10 and up. Failure to do so would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and potential jail time.
The ordinance also explicitly spells out when residents would not be required to wear masks. Those circumstances include when riding in a personal vehicle; when alone in an enclosed space, or when only other household members are present; when outdoors and able to maintain a six-foot distance at all times; while eating, drinking or smoking; and when wearing a mask could aggravate another health conditions.
The ordinance defines a face mask as “at least a simple cloth face covering,” ranging from surgical masks, N95 respirators, face shields or bandanas, as long as it covers both the mouth and nose and does not have any holes in it.
If ultimately passed by the city council, the emergency measure would last for 60 days or until city council repeals it. A previous emergency curfew passed by the city council during the COVID-19 outbreak expired last week.
A city task force previously asked for the governor to require businesses to have employees masked and offer customers masks when they reopen.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 7:06 PM.
.jpg)