Where do I have to wear it? Guide to mask requirements in Beaufort, Jasper counties
Beaufort County leaders have passed a series of local rules this week requiring masks to be worn in some public spaces in response to rising COVID-19 case counts.
As of Friday, local governments had passed five ordinances. In neighboring Jasper County on Wednesday, leaders in one municipality soundly rejected a mask requirement.
Because each government is taking a slightly different approach to masking requirements, residents and visitors will have to learn a patchwork of new rules.
Uneven growth in municipalities has resulted in Swiss cheese-like jurisdictions and pockets of unincorporated territory in Beaufort County. This means that some businesses and indoor public spaces will be subject to different rules from their neighbors
Here’s everything you need to know about when and where you need to wear a mask.
Beaufort County
Beaufort County Council approved face mask requirements Wednesday evening that apply to the unincorporated parts of the county.
It went into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 3.
Who has to wear a mask, and where?
All people inside any commercial or public buildings in unincorporated Beaufort County must wear a face mask over their nose and mouth.
All employees of retail establishments, restaurants, salons, grocery stores and pharmacies are required to wear masks when near the general public or close to other employees. All businesses must provide face coverings to employees.
What happens if I don’t wear a mask?
The ordinance does not include any criminal or civil penalties for individual violators.
However, repeated violations of the ordinance may result in a restraining order, preliminary injunction, permanent injunction and the suspension or revocation of a company’s business license.
What about restaurants?
The ordinance says people who are actively consuming food and beverages inside a restaurant and/or bar are exempt from wearing a mask. At all other times, the mask rules apply inside restaurant buildings.
Who is exempt?
These groups of people or businesses are exempt:
▪ Children younger than 2 “or at the discretion of the parent, custodian or guardian”
▪ People who are unable to wear a mask due to age or health condition
▪ Those who are unable to remove a face mask without assistance from others
▪ Anyone who is traveling in a personal vehicle
▪ Anyone who is alone or in the presence of household members in an enclosed space
▪ People who are actively eating or drinking
▪ Child care facilities
▪ Schools
▪ Churches and gyms where social distancing policies are in place
▪ People receiving medical treatments
▪ People actively swimming in an indoor swimming pool
How do I tell when I’m in unincorporated Beaufort County?
Beaufort County’s public GIS mapping site includes municipal boundaries for the county.
Read the Beaufort County’s mask ordinance, effective 11:59 p.m. on July 3, here.
City of Beaufort
Who has to wear a mask, and where?
Anyone entering a building open to the public, whether a private business or publicly owned facility, inside city limits must wear a mask.
Employees of all restaurants and retail establishments, including grocery stores, salons and pharmacies, must wear masks when working in an area frequented by the general public or when close to other workers. These employees must also cover their faces when interacting with the public while on service calls or in outdoor spaces such as patios or pickup and delivery areas.
Masks are also required on public and commercial transportation, including tours.
What happens if I don’t wear a mask?
A violation of the mask ordinance is a civil infraction punishable by a fine of $50. Repeated violations of the ordinance at a business can result in legal action or business license revocation.
However, the ordinance says building owners or lease holders do not have a responsibility to enforce the ordinance beyond posting signage at the entrance of the establishment and requiring employees to wear masks.
What about restaurants?
The ordinance says people who are actively eating or drinking are not required to wear a mask. At all other times, the mask rules apply inside restaurant buildings.
Who is exempt?
These four groups of people are exempt:
- Anyone who is unable to safely wear a mask due to age or underlying health condition, or who can’t remove the face covering without the assistance of others
- People who are actively eating or drinking
- People who are in an enclosed space subject to the ordinance but are alone or are only in the presence of members of their household
- Anyone traveling in a personal vehicle
How do I tell when I’m in Beaufort and when I’m in unincorporated Beaufort County?
Beaufort County’s public GIS mapping site includes municipal boundaries for the county. Beaufort’s are marked in red on the map.
Read the City of Beaufort’s mask ordinance, effective 11:59 p.m. on June 30, here.
Bluffton
Who has to wear a mask and where?
Anyone entering a building open to the public, whether a private business or publicly owned facility, inside town limits must wear a mask.
Face coverings are also required on public and commercial road transportation, including tours. Employees of all restaurants and retail establishments must wear masks when working in an area frequented by the general public, including outdoor spaces such as patios or pickup and delivery areas.
What happens if I don’t wear a mask?
Violating the mask ordinance is a civil infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $50. Repeated violations of the ordinance by someone who owns or operates a business can result in legal action or business license revocation, although the ordinance says town officials will make efforts to achieve voluntary compliance before issuing a citation.
Businesses may decline entry or service to a customer who refuses to wear a mask.
What about restaurants?
The ordinance says people who are actively eating or drinking don’t have to wear a mask. At all other times, the mask rules apply inside restaurant buildings.
Who is exempt?
These five groups of people are exempt:
- Children younger than 8
- People who are unable to safely wear a mask due to age or underlying health condition, or who can’t remove the face covering without the assistance of others
- Those who are actively eating or drinking
- People who are in an enclosed space subject to the ordinance but are alone or are only in the presence of members of their household
- Anyone traveling in a personal vehicle
How do I tell when I’m in Bluffton and when I’m in unincorporated Beaufort County?
The mask rules approved by Bluffton are for people and businesses within the town’s limits. Bluffton, however, has many “doughnut holes,” or areas that are not incorporated.
Although a business may have a Bluffton address, it may be in unincorporated Beaufort County. The Walmart Supercenter at Bluffton Road and U.S. 278, for example, is not within town limits.
To find out if you or your business are within the town’s limits, enter your address in the town’s “Am I in Bluffton” application.
Read the Town of Bluffton’s mask ordinance, effective at noon on July 1, here.
Hilton Head Island
Where do I have to wear a mask?
In all commercial spaces, customers and employees must wear a face mask.
That includes restaurants, bars, grocery stores, pharmacies, gyms, lobbies and public spaces in hotels, motels and timeshare complexes, salons, retail stores, medical and dental offices.
Do I have to wear a mask on the beach?
No. Hilton Head’s mask ordinance does not cover public parks, beaches or outdoor spaces.
What about when I’m eating at a restaurant?
You must wear a mask while entering, exiting and moving around a restaurant. You may remove the mask only while you are actually eating or drinking.
What happens if I don’t wear a mask?
Someone found in violation of the mask ordinance would be guilty of a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor on Hilton Head is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to 30 days in jail.
How do I tell when I’m in a municipality and when I’m in unincorporated Beaufort County?
When you arrive via the Hilton Head bridges, you are officially within the town limits after you pass Windmill Harbour and cross the causeway near the Crazy Crab Restaurant. Prior to crossing that causeway, you are on Jenkins Island, which is unincorporated Beaufort County.
The town covers the rest of the island without exception.
Who is exempt from the mask rule?
These three groups of people are exempt:
- People who are unable to safely wear a face covering due to age, an underlying health condition, or are unable to wear the face covering without the assistance of others
- People eating or consuming food and beverages
- People receiving medical care or treatment
If I have a medical condition that prevents me from wearing a mask, do I have to carry certain identification of that condition?
No, that is in violation of your rights as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA requires that a reasonable accommodation be made to exempt you from the rule.
Assistant Town Manager Josh Gruber said Tuesday that grocery pick-up or takeout from a restaurant are examples of accommodations that do not require you to wear a mask.
Read the Town of Hilton Head’s mask ordinance, effective 11:59 p.m. June 30, here.
Port Royal
Who has to wear a mask, and where?
Anyone entering a commercial establishment open to the public inside town limits must wear a mask, unless engaged in “an activity that makes wearing a mask, face shield or face covering not feasible,” provided six feet of social distance is maintained, according to the ordinance. The ordinance gives strenuous exercise, singing and playing an instrument as examples of activities that are exempt.
Employees of all businesses must wear masks while having face-to-face interaction with the public.
What happens if I don’t wear a mask?
A violation of the mask ordinance is a civil infraction punishable by a fine of up to $50. Repeated violations of the ordinance at a business can result in legal action or business license revocation, but the rule says voluntary compliance is the goal.
The ordinance says business owners do not have a responsibility to enforce the ordinance beyond posting signage at the entrance of the establishment and requiring employees to wear masks.
What about restaurants?
The ordinance does not specifically address eating and drinking but allows for masks not to be worn inside businesses when a certain activity means they are not feasible and social distancing can be maintained.
Who is exempt?
These two groups of people are exempt:
- Children younger than 8
- People who are unable to safely wear a mask due to age or underlying health condition, or who can’t remove the face covering without the assistance of others
How do I tell when I’m in Port Royal and when I’m in unincorporated Beaufort County?
Beaufort County’s public GIS mapping site includes municipal boundaries for the county. Port Royal’s are marked in blue on the map.
Read the Town of Port Royal’s mask ordinance, effective 8:00 a.m. July 2, here.
Jasper County
Are masks required anywhere in Jasper County?
No.
Hardeeville’s City Council voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to reject a mask ordinance.
On Monday night, Jasper County Council also voted unanimously to strike down a proposed ordinance that would have required people in unincorporated parts of the county to wear face coverings.
Are Ridgeland officials planning to require masks in town limits?
There are no proposed ordinances drafted or in the works, Ridgeland Town Administrator Dennis Averkin said Wednesday.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 3:36 PM.
