Beaufort County votes against mask requirement extension. What that means
Beaufort County Council voted Monday evening not to extend its mandatory mask requirements for commercial and public buildings in unincorporated parts of the county.
The ordinance, which initially went into effect on July 3, will now automatically expire on Oct. 24.
Although seven of the 11 council members voted to extend the requirements for 61 days, the emergency ordinance needed eight votes to pass.
It failed.
The ordinance was in place only for unincorporated parts of the county and required people to wear masks or face coverings inside all commercial and public buildings.
The ordinance also required employees of retail businesses, salons, grocery stores and pharmacies to wear masks when near the public or close to other employees.
When the ordinance expires, people will still be required to wear masks when dining and shopping inside the limits of Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort and Port Royal.
Beaufort and Bluffton were expected to vote Tuesday night on whether to extend their mask ordinances. Port Royal will vote on its extension Wednesday.
Masking has been one of the county’s most contentious political issues amid the pandemic.
Protesters, and at least one group, No Mask Required HHI, have argued that emergency mask rules infringe on civil liberties.
Council members Mike Covert, Chris Hervochon, Brian Flewelling and Stu Rodman opposed the extension. Rodman, who cast the deciding vote after voting for the mask ordinance previously, said the decision to require masks should be left to individual business owners.
The council’s decision came the same day The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported that, according to S.C. Department and Environmental Control data, the coronavirus’ spread slowed in most Beaufort County ZIP codes within five weeks after local mask mandates went into effect this past summer.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 8:41 PM.
