Are face mask rules being enforced in the Columbia area? Here’s what we found
At least 57 complaints have been received by Midlands local governments about violations of mask ordinances, mainly at businesses where patrons, customers or both have gone with their faces uncovered.
Richland County and local towns or cities have used different levels of enforcement, with an emphasis on informing the public about good mask etiquette rather than issuing fines and tickets.
Public health officials in South Carolina have consistently said wearing face masks can reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The state’s top medical official, epidemiologist Linda Bell, has credited local mask ordinances with slowing the spread of COVID-19, and Gov. Henry McMaster has urged other localities to adopt similar measures.
The State asked seven local governments in the Midlands that passed ordinances earlier this summer requiring face masks in certain situations what those measures have meant in practice.
“Our focus has been on businesses, mainly because (the ordinance) particularly applies indoors, and that’s where the most people will congregate,” said Mike DeSumma with the Columbia Fire Department. “We want to make sure we explain the ordinance, and then seek voluntary compliance.”
In Chapin, the town council approved a measure in July that “strongly urged” residents and businesses to wear masks, while also providing exemptions for outdoor activities, dining out, sitting in a private office, and for medical, behavioral or religious objections.
A town spokeswoman said Chapin only enforces wearing masks if the town receives a complaint from a property owner or business about someone on their property.
“The Town of Chapin supports the rights of our local businesses to determine the appropriate course of action for their specific situation and we have provided basic guidelines in addition to those set forth by the Governor’s office,” said Nicholle Burroughs., Chapin’s director of public affairs.
But others have enforced strict requirements for when and where to don a face covering, and they are enforcing them when necessary.
Richland County has issued 28 violation notices to different businesses, although “the County has not issued summons or citations,” said county public information director Beverly Harris. Instead, “the orders issued are intended as a warning and to advise people of the complaint ... which may not necessarily be actual violations on the part of the business.”
Last week, Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown told the county council that the county ombudsman’s office has received 131 calls related to the mask ordinance since it went into effect on July 5, “ranging from people not covering their whole mouth and nose to spotting others in a facility without masks on ... and even a number of people out in groups.”
DeSumma said Columbia has issued citations to businesses for mask violations, although the city prefers to advise businesses how to better follow the ordinance without ticketing them.
“Some of those are the same business where we came back and did it another day,” he said of the citations. “We’re not going to issue a citation (every time). We give ample opportunity for a business to come into compliance.”
Columbia’s ordinance sets a $100 fine for businesses violating the mask ordinance, and a $25 fine for individual violations. The State has requested records of what businesses have been cited so far in Richland County.
Citations released by the city of Columbia cite face mask violations for Nuttall Tire, A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen, and a Wilson Boulevard gas station run by Jaisy and Sahil LLC.
Peace of Soul owner Folami Geter told The State the kitchen has an employee who is unable to wear a mask due to health reasons, and the business has since restructured itself to limit staff interactions with customers.
“We’ve pivoted to be contactless,” Geter said. “You order online, come in and go.”
Steve Nuttall said he had been unsure how to institute social distancing requirements in the tire shop, and is appealing his $100 citation.
A man who answered the phone at the Wilson Boulevard gas station declined to comment.
Other municipalities are dealing with similar issues. West Columbia has responded to 21 complaints, but so far has not ticketed anyone, a spokeswoman said. Lexington reports only a handful of complaints since police officers handed out copies of the ordinance to local businesses, and the city generally works with owners, managers and patrons to promote compliance with the ordinance.
But the town also deals with some confusion about which businesses are inside the town limits, town spokesman Laurin Barnes said. Lexington County does not have a comprehensive mask ordinance in the county’s unincorporated areas.
That confusion is duplicated in other cities, as many still seem unsure what is required, and where.
”We do get the random call of ‘there’s someone out here not wearing a mask,’ but they’re in the park and the ordinance doesn’t require them to wear a mask,” said Forest Acres City Manager Shaun Greenwood.
Greenwood said that when Forest Acres police receive a complaint, they also try to follow up with businesses instead of rushing to issue citations, seeing their job mainly as educational.
In the city of Cayce, which recently reissued its own face covering ordinance, police have responded to five mask-related complaints, but responded by providing “hard copies of the attached city ordinance, and (officers) explain exactly what the ordinance states,” said spokeswoman Ashley Hunter.
To date, no fines have been issued, and both Cayce and Forest Acres have provided free masks to area businesses as well.
But local officials are still open to reports of mask violations. In most places, you can report violations to the city or town police department, even where violations are not considered criminal matters. In Columbia, violations can be reported to the fire department at 803-545-3700 or 803-545-3701, and to the Richland County ombudsman’s office at 803-929-6000.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 10:53 AM.
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