City Council Extends Emergency Ordinance Requiring Use of Face Coverings within City Limits
Camden City Council has approved Emergency Ordinance 2021-005, which extends Emergency Ordinance 2020-027, requiring the use of face coverings within city limits. The current emergency ordinance will remain in effect through May 8, 2021.
According to the original emergency ordinance, a “Face Covering” shall mean a cloth, fabric, textile, or impervious material without holes, that covers both the mouth and nose, including but not limited to surgical masks, respirators, face shields, handmade masks, bandanas, neck gaiters, scarves or wraps.
Face coverings should be worn by every person working, living, visiting, or doing business within the City of Camden when inside any building which is open to the public; waiting to enter any building which is open to the public; interacting with others in outdoor public spaces, including but not limited tocurb side, pickup, delivery, and service calls; engaging in business activities in public, commercial, or industrial spaces; utilizing public or commercial transportation services; or walking or operating in any public, commercial, or industrial area where maintaining a distance of six feet between other persons at all times is not possible.
The emergency ordinance requiring face coverings allows for exception, including children younger than 8 years old; individuals with medical conditions, mental health conditions, or disabilities which prevent the wearing of a Face Covering; individuals who are hearing impaired, or who are communicating with an individual who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see mouth function is essential to communication; individuals, while working, for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to such individual related to their work, as dictated by local, state or federal regulations or applicable workforce guidelines; and individuals receiving or obtaining medical service or treatment involving the mouth or nose wherein temporary removal of a face covering is necessary to perform the service or treatment.
Face coverings are not required to be worn when a person is traveling in a private vehicle; alone in an enclosed space or able maintain a minimum distance of six feet from other persons at all times; outdoors and able maintain a minimum distance of six feet from other persons at all times; alone or only with other household members; drinking, eating or smoking (where smoking is permitted); inside a private residence, including curtilage thereof; or complying with a request of law enforcement.
According to the emergency ordinance, any person who fails to comply with this ordinance shall be guilty of a civil infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than $25.00 for each violation.
City staff will continue to monitor the COVID-19 virus and make operational decisions as necessary. City Hall and other city facilities remain closed to the public at this time. Residents are encouraged to use the City’s online bill pay for existing utility bills, the drive-thru window at the Finance Department, or the two drop boxes on the south end of City Hall, where payments will be accepted 24 hours a day.
Residents are encouraged to monitor information and updates at SC DHEC’s website www.scdhec.gov/covid19.