Hilton Head extends face mask requirement for restaurants, stores. Here’s how long
Hilton Head Island’s Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to extend the town’s face mask requirement for commercial spaces.
The ordinance will now expire on Oct. 17 if it’s not repealed by the council before then.
Hilton Head’s mask rule extends to all commercial spaces, including grocery stores, restaurants, bars, gyms, stores, hotel lobbies and other businesses.
The rule allows patrons to take off the mask while actively eating or drinking. People who have a medical condition that bars them from being able to safely wear a face mask are exempt.
Passing the extension of the requirement came with little discussion from the council Tuesday.
Ward 5 representative Tom Lennox said the mask rule is a facet of public safety before joining the other members in voting “yes” in the virtual meeting.
The vote comes as at least one group has formed to oppose any type of mask requirement on the island.
No Mask Required HHI has launched a website and petition with around 250 signatures advocating the removal of all mask requirements.
People who signed the petition were prompted to submit comments to the town council prior to Tuesday’s meeting, when the council voted on the extension. Several did and repeated claims that masks do not slow the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found face masks help to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 6:27 PM.
