Beaufort Co. has extended its COVID-19 mask requirement. What you need to know
Beaufort County has extended its emergency face mask requirement until late October.
The Beaufort County Council on Monday voted 8-3 to keep the local ordinance in place, requiring people in unincorporated parts of the county to wear masks or face coverings inside all commercial and public buildings.
The ordinance went into effect on July 3 and was set to expire at the end of August. The rules have now been extended until Oct. 23.
The ordinance also requires employees of retail businesses, salons, grocery stores and pharmacies to wear masks when near the public or close to other employees.
There are several exemptions to the county’s masking requirement. Governments across the state passed similar rules this summer amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Locally, Hilton Head Island recently extended its face mask requirement until mid-October. The Bluffton Town Council extended its mask rules on Wednesday.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that masks can help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 7:54 PM.
