Columbia now requires you to wear a mask to combat coronavirus. Here are the details
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had incorrect information about the penalty for not wearing a mask. Violating the ordinance is a civil infraction, not a misdemeanor, and carries a penalty of up to $25.
The city of Columbia is now requiring all residents to wear masks when they are in public to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Council members voted 6-1 after a nearly 4-hour emergency session Tuesday to require the masks for anyone in public and within six feet of someone else. Employees of all businesses will also be required to wear masks.
Council member Daniel Rickenmann voted against the ordinance, saying that the wearing of masks should be an educational process.
Not wearing a mask is now a civil infraction with a fine up to $25. Those not complying will likely be given warnings first.
In addition, all restaurants, retail stores, grocery stores, salons and pharmacies must require their employees to wear a face covering at all times while having face-to-face interaction with the public. Any business owner or supervisor not complying with the ordinance could be fined up to $100 for each day of offense.
The new law will take affect Friday at 6 a.m. and last for 60 days.
“Masks work,” Mayor Steve Benjamin said. “This is not a perfect resolution but a step of the right direction.”
A system will be developed to make masks available to those who need them, the mayor said.
DHEC announced 890 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, after several days of cases near or above 1,000 daily
Linda Bell, the state’s epidemiologist, addressed the council via video conference and noted that 46% of the state’s 26,572 positive COVID-19 cases have been identified in the last two weeks. She said social distancing and masks “are the only tools we have” in combating the rising spread of the virus.
She told council members she was “alarmed and disheartened” at the number of people not wearing masks, particularly young adults.
While most teenagers and young adults are most resistant to becoming seriously ill from the virus, “you’re imposing that risk . . . on others.”
She added: “These measures from the local jurisdictions are badly needed.”
Under the new emergency ordinance, masks would be required for anyone:
▪ Inside a public building or waiting to enter a public building
▪ Interacting with someone within six feet in an outdoor space
▪ Engaged in business in a private space
▪ Using public or private transportation
▪ Walking in public where maintaining a six-foot distance from others may not be possible.
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.
The requirement would apply to anyone in the city limits aged 10 and up.
Columbia becomes the second major South Carolina city to require masks. Greenville City Council voted unanimously Monday to require masks.
Columbia’s ordinance also 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
▪ When wearing a mask could aggravate health conditions.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 5:54 PM.