Bluffton extends face mask requirement. Here’s how long you need to wear one
Bluffton Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday morning to extend the town’s face mask requirement for public spaces.
The ordinance will expire on Nov. 1, but could be repealed by the council before then.
“I’m glad we’re continuing to keep the ordinance in place,” council member Bridgette Frazier said. “It’s good that we’re trusting and listening to science here and keeping residents safe and our numbers down.”
The town’s rules, which went into effect on July 1, require people to wear masks inside any buildings open to the public and requires employees of retail businesses, salons, grocery stores and pharmacies to wear face masks when near the general public or close to other employees.
The mask requirement applies to all people using public or commercial transportation and all employees interacting with people in outdoor spaces such as curbside pickup, delivery and service calls.
Some people are exempt from the ordinance: children younger than 8; any person who is unable to safely wear a face covering due to age or health condition; anyone traveling in a personal vehicle; a person who is alone or is in the presence of only household members in an enclosed space; and, people who are actively drinking or eating.
The ordinance specifies that a business may decline entry to a person who refuses to wear a face mask.
Violators of the ordinance are subject to a $50 civil fine.
Hilton Head extended its mask ordinance last week, and Beaufort County voted to extend its rules on Monday.
Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new cases was roughly 27 on Tuesday. That figure has trended downward this month following a record high on July 31.
As of Tuesday, the Bluffton ZIP code of 29910 continued to lead the county with 1,135 cases. The county has recorded 4,569 total cases this year.
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 9:44 AM.
