Hilton Head had the area’s most punitive COVID mask rules. How many people got tickets?
Hilton Head Island had the county’s most punitive mask mandate during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Failing to wear a mask in restaurants, stores and commercial spaces was a misdemeanor.
Instead of a $25 or $50 ticket for a civil infraction, as it was in Beaufort or Bluffton, a ticket on Hilton Head for not wearing a mask could have been punished with a fine of up to $500 or as many as 30 days in jail.
But the town’s mandate, which was criticized at times for its severity, never cost a single person money or time in jail.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office didn’t issue any tickets for breaking the island’s mask mandate during its 10-month run, spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage told the town’s community services and public safety committee on Monday morning.
Hilton Head mask requirements
Despite the pandemic, over 2.6 million people visited Hilton Head in 2020.
In the early months of the pandemic, tensions between visitors and residents ran high. Drivers of cars with out-of-state license plates, specifically from New York, reported receiving notes telling them to stay home.
The Town of Hilton Head lagged in passing a mask requirement, even as other towns in South Carolina asked S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster to pass a statewide mandate. He refused.
After PGA Tour golfer Justin Thomas called Hilton Head a “zoo” when he played RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing in June, the town moved quickly to pass a mask requirement that went into effect July 1 for commercial spaces.
Swiftly, island residents noticed their mask requirements were the most punitive.
While no municipalities in Jasper County adopted mask requirements, Beaufort, Bluffton, Port Royal and the unincorporated areas of Beaufort County were under mask mandates that, if violated, were deemed civil infractions.
Hilton Head’s, on the other hand, was criminal.
Town leaders extended the mask mandate four times before voting on May 4 to let it expire.
Before the ordinance expired, McMaster signed a May 13 executive order that prohibited towns from having mask mandates. It effectively ended Hilton Head’s mask requirement.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 11:04 AM.
