Conway makes amendments to face mask ordinance. Here’s what it means for citizens
The City of Conway voted unanimously to beef up its face mask ordinance as the coronavirus continues to pose a threat.
The amended ordinance, approved in Monday’s city council meeting and effective immediately, will now require face coverings in all retail establishments. The original ordinance required face masks only in businesses the city deemed essential.
City Administrator Adam Emrick displayed a chart that shows Conway’s cases have gone down since the city implemented the original ordinance on July 6.
“Whether or not that is because of the masks, we don’t know,” Emrick said. “But we do know masks aren’t hurting.”
Council members also amended the age requirement for masks from 8 years old and up to 5 and up.
There was much less discussion at Monday’s meeting compared to the first on July 6, when there was some pushback.
“If this continues, we’re going to put ourselves right back in a stay-at-home mandate and risk our economy,” Council Member Jean Medlen Timbes said Monday while stating her support for the amended ordinance.
Timbes and Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy expressed the need for city council to lead the way in knocking coronavirus numbers back down.
“Leadership needs to act timely and not be delayed,” said Blain-Bellamy, who tested positive for coronavirus last month. “Two weeks later is better than later still or not happening at all.”
Council Member Shane Hubbard expressed concerns over police enforcement of the ordinance in the July 6 meeting. He said those concerns had been eased by Monday, when Conway Police Chief Dale Long said during the meeting that no tickets had been handed out.
Violations of the order calls for tickets of $25 for individuals and $100 for businesses — in the original and amended ordinance — though Long said his department did not feel the need to issue any as most people in violation complied after a brief discussion.
“It has not been anything overwhelming,” Long said.
Blain-Bellamy called for changing the minimum age in the ordinance, which was supported by other council members. She stressed that teaching children to wear masks is a good learning experience while the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
“That responsibility is a good lesson to be taught, especially right now,” she said.
The ordinance still includes face mask exemptions, which include those who cannot safely wear a face covering due to age or health conditions, anyone who cannot remove the face covering without assistance, and those whose religious beliefs prevent them from wearing a mask.
The unanimous vote echoed the sentiments of council members, who were much more in concert at Monday’s meeting after seeing what they considered positive results of the original ordinance. The amended ordinance is effective through Aug. 18.
Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Georgetown and Horry County have also implemented face mask mandates as COVID-19 cases spike in local areas.
“This thing is not going away quickly and we need it to,” Council Member Justin Jordan said.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 6:12 PM.
