Statewide mandatory face covering requirement begins today
All Swannanoa Valley residents required to wear masks in public
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 26, 2020
Face coverings in public spaces are mandatory in N.C., beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, June 26. Fred McCormick
An executive order requiring face coverings in public settings, put in place by Governor Roy Cooper, will go into effect beginning today at 5 p.m.
Executive Order 147, which extends Phase 2 of the state’s Safer at Home initiative to 5 p.m., Friday, July 17, unless repealed or replaced, will apply to all residents and visitors in N.C.
Cooper signed the order June 24, in an effort to slow the increasing community spread of COVID-19 in the state.
“N.C. has been careful in lifting COVID-19 restriction,” Cooper said in a press conference prior to signing the order. “It’s because public health experts warn that removing restrictions too fast, or at all once, can cause a dangerous spike in the virus that would overwhelm our medical system.”
As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise in N.C., Cooper referred to the recent testimony delivered to Congress by Dr. Anthony Fauci, in which the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned of an “insidious increase in community spread” in the state.
“He cautioned that leaders in our state have to act to blunt the surge of cases,” Cooper said. “He also testified that the next couple of weeks are critical for our country in the fight against COVID-19.”
The governor cited the recent influx of cases of the virus as he announced the continuation of the second phase of the state’s three-phase reopening plan.
“This is not where we planned to be, or wanted to be, but it is one of two important decisions that we need to make to effectively fight this disease,” he said. “The other important decision is requiring face coverings when people are out in public.”
The order mandates that face coverings be worn in outdoor and indoor settings when physical distancing of six feet or more is not possible, and makes them a requirement for employees and customers of retail businesses, restaurants, manufacturing operations and other sectors. The declaration extends to state government buildings; child care facilities; long-term care settings and public transportation, including ride-shares, vans, cabs or shuttles.
A complete listing of the requirements can be found in a memo released by Black Mountain Town Manager Josh Harrold on June 25, detailing the order, which applies inside and outside of all municipalities within the Swannanoa Valley.
Executive order 147 allows for exceptions for children under the age of 11, people who have a medical or behavioral condition, or a disability that causes troubled breathing. Another of the 11 categories for exemption is related to restaurant patrons who are eating or drinking. The order explicitly states that children under the age of 2 “should not wear a face covering.”
Those who decline to wear a face covering in public are not required to produce applicable documentation or proof of condition.
Law enforcement officers are not authorized to criminally enforce the order, but if a business or organization refuses entry to anyone based on non-compliance, law enforcement may enforce trespassing or other relevant laws.
Businesses are required to enforce the mandatory face covering order and can be cited for failure to comply.
Public playgrounds will remain closed during Phase 2, while public parks, greenways and trails, in which social distance can be maintained will continue to be open.
Indoor public gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people, while outdoor gatherings in confined spaces, such as auditoriums, stadiums, arenas or meeting halls, are limited to no more than 25.