Phase 2 brings varying regulations to the Swannanoa Valley
Buncombe County to mandate face coverings in public, Black Mountain and Montreat will not
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 22, 2020
Communities throughout the Swannanoa Valley will face varying regulations with the arrival of Phase 2 of the economic reopening of Buncombe County.
While the declaration, signed May 22 by county commission chair Brownie Newman, mostly aligns with Governor Roy Cooper’s order to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on more businesses, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville are implementing an additional measure that requires people to wear face coverings while patronizing indoor public-facing commercial settings. Black Mountain and Montreat will join five county municipalities that will encourage masks to be worn in public, but stop short of mandating them.
The face covering policy will go into effect Tuesday, March 26, Newman announced in a 3 p.m. press conference. The order, which applies in unincorporated communities in Buncombe County, including Swannanoa, Ridgecrest and Broad River and other nearby communities, will require everyone over the age of 12 to wear face covering in “all indoor commercial facilities.” The provision does not apply to those dining in restaurants, working in private offices or those who are unable to comply due to medical conditions, disability or religious beliefs.
Churches and houses of worship are also exempt from the requirement, which passed following a 4-3 vote by county commissioners on May 21.
Newman maintained that it “was not an easy decision.”
“The science is growing that indoor environments, where people spend a prolonged amount of time, are most conducive to the transmission of this disease,” he said. “Many local businesses that want to consistently enforce a policy requiring face coverings in their indoor space, to protect their employees and customers, asked the commission to adopt this policy.”
The county will not issue citations for individuals who are non-compliant, Newman added.
“Nevertheless, jurisdictions that have done this have had higher levels of participation in wearing face coverings,” he said. “So we believe there will be a public health benefit in terms of suppressing the spread of COVID-19.”
While the City of Asheville will also require the use of face coverings in the designated commercial settings, Woodfin, Black Mountain, Montreat and Biltmore Forest will not. The Town of Weaverville withdrew from the county’s emergency declaration on May 1 to more closely align with the State’s orders.
The decision to encourage face coverings in public places, as opposed to making them mandatory, centered around two key elements, according to Black Mountain Town Manager Josh Harrold.
“It really came down to enforcement and availability of masks,” he said of the town’s decision. “We don’t have enough staff to enforce a requirement like that, and we know that not everyone has masks.”
Individual businesses are encouraged to create policies regarding the use of face coverings for customers and employees, he added.
“We will be putting up signs at town hall recommending that people wear them when doing business here,” Harrold said.
Black Mountain, Montreat, Asheville, Woodfin and Biltmore Forest consented to the remainder of Buncombe County’s ‘Safer at Home’ declaration, which adopts Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 141, with enhanced guidance.
“This means that we should still try to stay out of public areas and spaces as much as possible when we don’t have needs or purposes,” said Buncombe County Emergency Preparedness Director Fletcher Tove. “But, this is now a recommendation and no longer an order.”
Outdoor social gatherings of up to 25 people and indoor gatherings of up to 10 people are permitted under Phase 2 in Buncombe County.
“Worship, religious and spiritual gatherings, to include weddings and funerals and other first amendment activities, are exempt from the guidance in this order,” Tove said. “However, receptions, visitations or events after the immediate wedding or funeral are subject to mass gathering limits.”
Bars, nightclubs, museums, gyms and fitness studios and indoor entertainment venues are not permitted to open under the current regulations, which also continue to prohibit sporting events in Buncombe County facilities.
Lodging establishments may resume booking guests with addresses outside of the 828 area code during Phase 2, but facilities with more than 10 units are limited to 50% capacity.
“All lodging establishments must wait 24 hours after a room becomes vacant before cleaning and disinfecting,” Tove said. “Cleaning of these rooms must comply with the guidance outlined in Executive Order 141.”
The Phase 2 order will remain in effect until 5 p.m., Friday, June 26, unless repealed, replaced or rescinded.
“COVID-19 is still a highly contagious virus present in our community, and we are still in the midst of a global pandemic,” Tove said. “We know, without a doubt, that this reopening will result in more positive cases and more deaths. It takes all of us working together to minimize these consequences to the greatest extent possible. We do that by following public guidance and safeguarding our communities.”