Will Hilton Head extend its mask requirement for a third time? Here’s when we’ll know
Hilton Head Island’s Town Council will consider extending its mask requirement on Wednesday for the third time.
The mask ordinance, originally adopted in June and extended in August and October, requires a face mask or covering in all commercial spaces on the island, including restaurants, bars, grocery stores, retail shops, timeshare complexes and hotel lobbies.
There are exceptions for people with an age or medical condition that prevent them from wearing a face covering. People actively eating, drinking or receiving medical care are also exempt.
Without an extension, the town’s mask requirement expires on Dec. 5. If the ordinance is extended, the town would continue to require masks until Feb. 3.
Hilton Head has the county’s strictest punishment for failing to wear a mask. It’s a criminal misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 or 30 days in jail.
But town staff have said the focus is on education instead of punishment, and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage said no citations have been issued for failing to comply with the mask ordinance.
Beaufort County has seen its share of anti-mask sentiment. A smattering of small protests have taken place in recent months, and opponents of the mask requirement on Hilton Head had flooded public comment. Each vote to extend the Hilton Head ordinance has been unanimous.
In November, Beaufort County Council backtracked after considering a permanent mask requirement that had no end date. The county’s mask requirement is set to expire Dec. 16.
The decision to retract the ordinance came after the council received a heavy volume of criticism in recent weeks due to its behind-the-scenes handling of its former administrator’s resignation and the proposed non-emergency face mask rules.
The proposed mask ordinance was pulled from the council meeting agenda after it received tremendous resistance online from people who described the rules as a “permanent ordinance” that infringed on their civil liberties.
In his statement, County Council Chair Joe Passiment claimed the council “was never able to discuss” whether the proposed ordinance would be permanent or in place for “a specified period.”
“Some members of the community assumed that we, and me specifically, wanted everyone to wear masks forever. That is not the truth,” the statement said.
How to weigh in
Hilton Head will discuss extending the mask requirement at a special Town Council meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
To submit comments, you can use the Open Town Hall portal on the town’s website until noon on Wednesday.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, the question about the mask ordinance had 48 responses. A slim majority, 52.1% of respondents, said they support the mask ordinance.
