Conway City Council passes ordinance requiring masks in ‘essential’ businesses

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - The city of Conway passed an emergency ordinance on masks that included some major changes from the original one that proposed.

During a virtual meeting on Monday, city leaders took a vote on the original proposal, but it failed by a lack of majority vote. Three were in favor and four voted against, including councilmember William Goldfinch.

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Once that voted failed, Goldfinch introduced a motion to amend the ordinance to say that masks are only required in essential businesses. The amended ordinance passed in a 5-2 vote.

It now states that all customers going into a commercial establishment determined to be “essential” must wear a face mask. Councilmembers deemed places like grocery stores, pharmacies and medical offices as essential businesses.

Additionally, a mask will be required when a person can’t honor the six feet of distance.

“I think it’s a given that in a food store, in a pharmacy, in a Walmart, in a Food Lion it is next to impossible to practice social distancing, you can try to practice but due to moving targets, it’s almost hard to do,” Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said.

Staff at the Crafty Rooster Bar and Restaurant said that they will continue to wear masks and play their part in keeping the community safe.

“I think it helps people feel protected as they come in to eat. I think it’s a great idea to keep the community safe, as long as we can get rid this as fast as we can. I think everyone is essential as long as we work together,” said Ashleigh Garson, an employee at the Crafty Rooster.

If a person fails to comply, then they could face a fine of $25.

The emergency mask ordinance goes into effect at 8 p.m. Monday and will expire at 9 a.m. on August 4. The city council will meet on August 3 to determine if the ordinance needs to be extended and/or amended.

The city council also approved a resolution encouraging all residents and businesses to wear a face mask during this stage of the pandemic.

Read the full ordinance below:

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