By Noah Ryder | The City of Beaufort’s mandatory mask ordinance, implemented last year to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, has expired last night at 11:59pm. In its place, City Council passed an emergency ordinance on Tuesday that strongly encourages individuals to continue to wear a mask in buildings opened to the public going forward.
The City said that it continues to seek guidance from doctors and leadership at Beaufort Memorial Hospital as it modifies its emergency ordinances related to Covid-19.
Vaccines are readily available in Beaufort County for anyone 16 years old or above, and the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control estimates that 48% of Beaufort County residents (in that age range) have received at least one vaccine.
The number of new cases of Covid in the county has also dropped significantly.
The new ordinance specifies that restaurants and retail establishments can continue to require their employees to wear masks. Business owners can also set their own policies requiring customers to wear masks. The City of Beaufort will continue to require members of the public to wear masks when coming to City Hall, the Police Department, or other City buildings. Municipal Court is also requiring masks.
Beaufort County and the Town of Bluffton no longer have a mandatory mask mandate. The Town of Port Royal’s mandatory mask ordinance is set to expire April 30.
Even though the Beaufort mask ordinance has expired, it’s still a good idea to wear one.
Additionally, beginning Monday, May 3, face coverings are no longer necessary in County facilities in Beaufort and Bluffton. The municipalities of Hilton Head Island and Yemassee still have face covering ordinances in place.
Pursuant to South Carolina Chief Justice Donald W. Beatty’s Order dated July 30, 2020, all persons conducting business in or visiting County courthouses are required to wear a protective mask. It is also ordered that all persons entering in County courthouses are subject to screening for fever.
The following information provides further details on the mask ordinance for each municipality:
- Port Royal – Expires April 30th at midnight – Town Council voted not to renew.
- Unincorporated Beaufort County – Expired April 15th – Council voted not to renew.
- City of Beaufort –   Expired April 30th at midnight, but the ordinance will be replaced by a new ordinance that “strongly encourages” residents to wear masks in buildings that are open to the public and businesses to require masks.
- Bluffton – Expired April 14, 2021 – Town Council voted not to renew.
- Hilton Head – Expires May 16, 2021 or the end of the State of Emergency (whichever first).
- Yemassee – Expires May 9, 2021 or by passage of another ordinance.
