Hilton Head passes mask requirement to slow coronavirus spread. What you need to know
Hilton Head island leaders passed a mask requirement, which went into effect at 11:59 p.m. on June 30. The ordinance changed drastically over the weekend to require more of customers of all businesses.
The rule makes face masks mandatory for customers in all commercial spaces, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, hotel lobbies, restaurants, retail stores and bars.
The ordinance also requires employees in all commercial spaces to wear a face mask at all times when they are in the same place as the public or near another employee.
Any person who violates the face mask rule would be guilty of a misdemeanor, according to the ordinance. A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or 30 days in jail, according to the town code.
The ordinance does not apply to public parks or beaches.
People who can’t safely wear a face covering because of their age or an underlying health condition are exempt from the rule. The ordinance also includes exemptions for “persons eating or consuming food and beverages” and “persons receiving medical care or treatment.”
The Town of Hilton Head Island has been slow to enact a local mask rule, citing difficulty of enforcement because the island does not have its own police department.
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Monday he supports this ordinance and will be able to enforce it.
“I have absolutely no problem with the enforceability of the ordinance,” Tanner said at the meeting.
The ordinance requires businesses to post signage at all entrances informing customers of the mask rule. Establishments that see three or more violations of the ordinance could face legal consequences or the revocation of their license, according to the ordinance.
Tanner said the ordinance is important especially as thousands of visitors come to the island for the Fourth of July. He said he expects areas such as the Hilton Head beaches and the Bermuda Triangle area to be “loaded” with people this weekend.
The move comes after weeks of scrutiny from island residents, who have demanded a mask ordinance as other South Carolina cities pass their own.
Originally, the ordinance was drafted to require masks of customers in grocery stores and pharmacies, but no other businesses. It required employees of all commercial places to wear masks. Many called for a stronger ordinance that put more onus on visitors to the island.
Town leaders voted unanimously to pass the new ordinance.
Council member Bill Harkins, who represents Ward 2, said he spoke with several business owners over the weekend who said they want their employees and customers to wear masks.
“I think the public has been looking for this,” Harkins said. “This is just one step, and I think there’s more we can be doing.”
Some council members asked for more.
“If we do not communicate this to our residents and guests, then it is a hollow ordinance,” Ward 3 representative David Ames said. He requested a sign at the entrance to the island to remind people to wear masks.
Council member Tamara Becker, who represents Ward 4, also requested money for businesses to create signs educating customers about the rule.
At least one other council member said he wants to focus on educating the public as opposed to calling others out.
“I don’t want to see citizens be police where they’re fighting people to wear a mask,” Ward 1 representative Marc Grant said.
Hilton Head Mayor John McCann said he would send the ordinance to other municipalities such as the Town of Bluffton and the City of Beaufort.
Tanner said it will be crucial for municipalities to coordinate their mask rules to avoid confusion.
“I think it’s important for consistent county-wide ordinance for enforcement,” Tanner said. “That would make things a whole lot easier on law enforcement.”
Hilton Head’s mask ordinance will expire in 61 days or at the end of the town’s COVID-19 state of emergency declaration, whichever comes first, according to the ordinance.
Read the full text of the ordinance below.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 9:07 AM.
