York County Council will now vote on a coronavirus mask requirement. Here’s when.
The York County Council will vote on a mandatory mask requirement during the coronavirus pandemic at its meeting July 20, said council chairman Michael Johnson.
Johnson said late Thursday the agenda for the July 20 meeting will include an “up or down” vote on a mask mandate, but also will include votes on alternatives to forcing residents to wear masks.
Those alternatives would include county-bought signs for businesses, giving out thousands of free masks to the public who want masks but can’t afford them, and other options that would possibly avoid government-mandated masks, Johnson said.
“We will have on the agenda a vote for mandatory masks,” Johnson said. “But we also will have discussion and votes on other alternatives to mandatory masks that could help with safety.”
Johnson, as council chair, controls the agenda for meetings. Previously he told The Herald there was not enough public support for a mask mandate. But in the past few days, as COVID-19 cases have spiked and South Carolina has ranked among the fastest increases in the world for positive cases, more support has come for masks to be required, Johnson said.
“For every one email or call or conversation I have had for a mask requirement, I have had just as many from people who are against it,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that enforcement of a mandate will be extremely difficult, and could possibly take York County Sheriff’s Office deputies away from other, more pressing duties.
Johnson said he wears a mask in public to help protect others. Yet without social distancing and other “common sense” safety measures, masks alone are not going to stop the virus, Johnson said.
Council member William “Bump” Roddey said he hopes the mask mandate passes July 20.
“I am going to vote for a requirement for masks - period,” Roddey said. “And I hope the rest of the council also considers this requirement the best solution for all the people of York County. Anything less than a mask requirement will be failing to protect public health and is not showing leadership.”
York County has had almost 1,700 positive coronavirus cases and Thursday posted the second-highest daily number of positive cases since the pandemic began.
Under South Carolina law as stated by the S.C. Attorney General, counties and municipalities have power to enact separate ordinances for mask requirements. This week, Rock Hill and Fort Mill passed mask requirements. York and Clover are set to vote on mask mandates Monday, July 13.
Tega Cay has passed a resolution recommending masks, but does not have a requirement.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 6:08 PM.
