Face masks will be required in Richland County. Here’s when you’ll need to wear one
Restaurants, stores, salons and other businesses in Richland County are now mask-mandatory zones.
Richland County Council voted Thursday evening to require face masks be worn by most people in most commercial spaces starting Monday, following the lead of the state capital and a growing number of cities across South Carolina that are requiring face coverings to help slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
“I’m glad that we’re finally moving toward this,” Councilwoman Dalhi Myers said just before the ordinance passed by an 8-0 vote. “I think it’s very important. I fully support it.”
The town of Lexington, adjacent to Richland County, and Forest Acres, within Richland County, also passed their own mask mandates on Thursday.
Face masks have been shown to help reduce the transmission of coronavirus, particularly when worn by both parties interacting with one another.
Cities and counties in South Carolina have taken it on themselves to do more than just encourage the use of face coverings, instituting local laws amid the absence of a statewide mandate. Since June 23, at least 23 towns and cities and at least one other county in South Carolina have enacted local face mask laws. In the Midlands, officials in Irmo and Cayce have also said they are considering actions of their own.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has remained adamant that he will not issue a statewide order to wear face masks. McMaster has said he believes a statewide order may be unconstitutional — though many states have issued some sort of statewide order — and unenforceable, despite evidence that mask-wearing increased dramatically in the city of Columbia after a local ordinance went into effect last Friday.
McMaster instead has repeatedly urged South Carolinians to take personal responsibility for wearing masks and practicing social distancing. He said Wednesday that he supports local governments instituting their own mask policies.
Richland County’s new mask ordinance goes into effect Monday, July 6. It states that:
- Anyone entering a commercial establishment in the county must wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose while inside the business.
- Restaurants, retail stores, salons, grocery stores and pharmacies within the county must require their employees to wear a face covering while interacting with the public.
Exceptions to the mask requirement include:
- Anyone who is unable to wear a mask due to underlying health conditions or unable to remove a face covering without the assistance of another person.
- Children under the age of 10.
- Religious establishments, though the use of face coverings is recommended during religious activities.
- People inside personal vehicles, alone in enclosed spaces, or only with other household members.
- During outdoor physical activities when a person is able to maintain 6 feet of distance from other people.
- While eating, drinking or smoking.
- When a face covering would prevent the receipt of personal services.
The penalty for an individual not complying with the county ordinance is a fine up to $25 for a civil infraction. The penalty for a business not requiring employees to wear face coverings is $100 for each day of noncompliance. The county may revoke an occupancy permit or business license of a business that repeatedly violates the ordinance.
The order is effective for 60 days.
The ordinance passed 8-0. Council members Gwen Kennedy, Bill Malinowski and Joe Walker were not present for the vote.
The county law is closely modeled on Columbia’s, which went into effect within the city limits a week ago.
Just hours before Richland County Council voted on the mask ordinance, another city within the county passed its own mandate.
Forest Acres City Council voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to require face masks be worn inside any “building or structure open to the general public.”
“This is about safety, and making sure Forest Acres is a safe place to shop and live, and not about Big Brother government,” said Forest Acres Mayor Frank Brunson. “Unfortunately, it’s a small toolbox we have to fight against this. ... It’s not going to cure anything, but it will buy us more time.”
Nearby Lexington followed suit Thursday afternoon, with a similar ordinance that adds that businesses must post signs telling customers to wear masks.
The recent spate of mask mandates across the state comes just before the July 4th holiday weekend. Health officials have warned that crowded holiday activities could worsen the spread of coronavirus in South Carolina if people are not vigilant about wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
“We could see cases rise to the levels that none of us could have previously imagined,” state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said Wednesday, mentioning the spike in cases after Memorial Day weekend in May. “This is a public health crisis.”
As of Thursday, 39,587 people in the state are known to have been infected by COVID-19, and 777 people have died of the virus. Hospitalizations due to the virus are increasing daily, with more than 1,100 hospital beds across the state now claimed by COVID-19 patients. Health officials have noted a concerning increase in the number of infections among younger adults in recent weeks.
These cities in South Carolina have passed laws requiring face masks, according to the S.C. Commission for Minority Affairs and local news reports:
- Clemson
- Greenville
- Spartanburg
- Town of Central
- Camden
- Columbia
- Forest Acres
- Lexington
- Newberry
- Orangeburg
- Beaufort
- Charleston
- Edisto Beach
- Florence
- Folly Beach
- Hanahan
- Hilton Head
- Isle of Palms
- Kiawah Island
- Mount Pleasant
- Myrtle Beach
- North Myrtle Beach
- Ridgeville
Additionally, Richland County and Dorchester County have mask requirements.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 6:18 PM.
