Hartsville council renews its face-mask ordinance
Hartsville City Council voted April 13 to extend the city’s face-mask ordinance to June 12. In a message on the city’s website, the city reports that the decision came during council’s regular monthly meeting. The city says council members commended local health care providers for the strides they have made distributing COVID vaccines to the people of Hartsville, Darlington County and beyond. The ordinance outlines circumstances in which citizens are required to wear a face mask including: — All customers are required to wear face coverings while inside the enclosed area of any retail establishment, foodservice establishment, or city owned buildings. — All retail establishments shall require staff to wear face coverings while working in areas open to the general public and at all times in which social distancing with other staff is not possible. — All foodservice establishments shall require staff who interact with customers (including delivery personnel) to wear face coverings while working. The ordinance outlines specific exemptions in which face coverings are not required: — In outdoor or unenclosed areas connected to retail or foodservice establishments in which social distancing of at least 6 feet is possible and observed; — 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 10 years old; — For patrons of foodservice establishments while they are dining; — 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 when exercising, obtaining or rendering goods or services such as the receipt of dental services, or while swimming; and — While exclusively with members of a family or the same household, and no person other than such family or household is within the same enclosed area.
