COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia City Council has passed another two month extension of the city's mask ordinance, meaning face coverings will be required through mid-May.
The council voted on the extension during their meeting Tuesday. It's set to last for 60 days, meaning it would expire on May 15.
Councilman Daniel Rickenmann proposed extending it only for 30 days, since coronavirus numbers have trended sharply down in the last two months, and a shorter time frame would allow a faster reevaluation of the data that's coming in on the spread of the virus. Councilman Howard Duvall pointed out that the council could repeal the mandate before 60 days, and no one else seconded Rickemann's motion.
However, Mayor Steve Benjamin said they would continue to monitor the data in the coming weeks.
There's been a growing debate about when to repeal mask mandates nationwide, as numbers in the country have gone down and more people get vaccinated. Some states that did have statewide mask mandates, like Texas, repealed theirs earlier this month. The ordinances were designed to stop the spread.
South Carolina never had a statewide mandate; however, there was one requiring masks at restaurants and in government officers. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster repealed it earlier this month.
The town of Lexington repealed their face covering rules shortly after McMaster took his action.
Columbia's mask mandate first went into effect back on June 26. Columbia was the second South Carolina city, following Charleston, to enact such a rule. The first mandate was extended in October.
Under the ordinance, every person over the age of ten is required to wear them in the following situations:
- Inside a building open to the public;
- Waiting to enter a building open to the public;
- Interacting with other people in outdoor spaces, including, but not limited to, curbside pickup, delivery, and service calls;
- When engaging in business activities in private spaces;
- Utilizing public or private transportation; or
- Walking in public where maintaining a distance of six (6) feet between other members of public at all times is not possible.
Face coverings are not required in the following circumstances:
- In personal vehicles;
- When a person is alone in enclosed spaces; during outdoor physical activity, provided the active person maintains a minimum of six (6) 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.