City of Beaufort to consider mask requirement in public buildings

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Beaufort will hold an emergency meeting next week to consider an emergency ordinance to require face coverings inside public buildings within city limits.

Beaufort City Council will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday to discuss this ordinance. The ordinance would also require that employees in such establishments wear a mask.

If passed, the ordinance will become effective on Monday at 11:59 p.m.

According to a press release, the ordinance says:

“All persons entering any building open to the public in the City must wear a face covering while inside the building.”
“All restaurants, retail establishments of every description, salons, grocery stores, and pharmacies in the municipal limits of the City shall require their employees to wear a Face Covering at all times that the employees are in any area where the general public is allowed or when the employees must be in close proximity to one another. This requirement also applies to all persons providing or utilizing public or commercial transportation, including tours; and all businesses or employees while interacting with people in outdoor spaces, including, but not limited to, curbside pickup, delivery, and service calls.”

The ordinance is being considered as cases of Covid-19 continue to increase in both South Carolina and Beaufort County. As of Friday, Beaufort County has 1,008 confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic.

The emergency meeting will be conducted electronically via Zoom and live-streamed on the City’s Facebook page. Public comments can be made via Facebook.