Mask requirement extended in City of Sumter

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People who venture into retail and food service establishments must still wear face coverings after Sumter City Council voted to extend its mask ordinance Tuesday.
At their last city council meeting on July 1, the mask requirement ordinance was passed with a 5-2 vote, with Councilmen David Merchant and Colin Davis voting against it.
Council decided to extend its expiration date in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as the ordinance had to be revisited in 30 days and would expire before their next meeting in August.
With no discussion, council approved the ordinance extension at a 6-1 vote, with Davis voting against it. The mask requirement will be in effect for another 30 days.
Sumter’s ordinance has not changed. It still requires customers and staff to wear face coverings in retail and food service establishments, as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health and Environmental Control have recommended as a means of preventing an infected person — who can be contagious without showing symptoms — from spreading COVID-19. This includes restaurants, drive-throughs and anywhere that sells food, as well as grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, laundromats and any business that sells goods or services.
Rather than requiring a mask, the ordinance mandates a face covering, which can be any piece of cloth, fabric or material that covers the nose and mouth and stays up without having to hold it up. A face covering can include, but is not limited to, bandanas, medical masks, cloth masks, scarves and gaiters.
Face coverings are not required in outdoor or unenclosed areas of retail stores or restaurants; for people whose religious beliefs prevent them from wearing a face covering; for those who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical or behavioral condition; for children under 8 years old; for restaurant patrons while eating; in private, individual offices; when complying with directions of law enforcement officers; in settings where it is not practical or feasible to wear a face covering, including while receiving dental services or while swimming; and while exclusively with members of a family or the same household.
The ordinance states there is a $50 civil penalty for those who fail to comply.