City of Columbia extends mask ordinance, expands order to include some outdoor spaces

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– On Thursday, Mayor Steve Benjamin and the Columbia City Council voted unanimously to extend the city’s ordinance requiring face coverings as well as extending the temporary suspension of city council, board and commission meetings. The city’s previous order was set to expire on November 15, but the new order extends it through January 5, 2021.

“It is important to note that not only has the penalty increased but that the circumstances where masks are required has also expanded,” said Mayor Steve Benjamin.

Under the new order, face coverings are required in all public places including crowded outdoor areas such as sidewalks when maintaining six feet of social distancing is either impractical or impossible.

The City of Columbia lists the following as exceptions where masks are not required in the city:

• In personal vehicles
•  When a person is alone in enclosed spaces; during outdoor physical activity, provided the active
  person maintains a minimum of six feet from other people at all times;
•  When a person is alone or only with other household members;
•  While drinking, eating or smoking;
•  When wearing a face covering causes or aggravates a health condition.
•  When wearing a face covering would prevent the receipt of personal services.
•  When a person is 10 years of age or younger.

The City of Columbia also increased the fine for not complying with the face covering ordinance to $100.

The ordinance also says that if a person who owns, operates or controls a business that falls under the order repeatedly violates this ordinance, it could result in the suspension or revocation of their permit or business license.

Last weekend, the Columbia Fire Department issued 32 citations to people not wearing face masks in Five Points.

In the last week, DHEC reported a 42% spike in COVID-19 cases in Richland County, which includes Columbia.

“If we continue to work together to get our arms around this health crisis, the economic crises will deal with themselves, the educational crises will deal with themselves,” Mayor Benjamin told his fellow council members Thursday. “It’s going to take all of us and that much more and this is a goal to stress our accountability to our collective responsibility.”

Other communities, including West Columbia, have expanded their mask ordinances. With flu season and the holidays around the corner, Assistant State Epidemiologist Dr. Jane Kelly said it’s even more important to be wearing a mask.

“People are indoors more, they’re more at risk for exchanging viruses, and not just COVID-19, the flu as well, so it is a concern to me if people are wearing masks less frequently,” Dr. Kelly said. “In fact, we need to be ever more vigilant about mask wearing and keeping a distance at this time.”

For more information on the ordinance, visit the Resilient Columbia microsite.