At the July 13, 2020 Bamberg County Council meeting, Bamberg County Council passed an emergency ordinance requiring the use of face coverings in retail and dining establishments. The ordinance is effective at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020 for 60 days. Bamberg County modeled its ordinance similar to Orangeburg County as citizens routinely shop and dine in both counties. Click here to download the ordinance in its entirety.
The ordinance requires face coverings (masks) to be worn by both patrons and staff in retail and indoor dining establishments in the unincorporated areas of Bamberg County. Retail establishments include grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, liquor stores, and laundromats, among others. Outdoor and unenclosed areas in which social distancing of six feet is possible and observed are not included under the ordinance.
Any person violating the face covering ordinance in Bamberg County shall be guilty of a civil infraction and fined no more than $25; employees and businesses in violation of the ordinance can be fined up to $100. Any person violating the face covering ordinance in Bamberg County shall be guilty of a civil infraction and fined no more than $25; employees and businesses in violation of the ordinance can be fined up to $100. The ordinance is not enforceable within the municipalities unless the municipality notifies the county in writing to enforce the ordinance within their city limits.
As of July 14, Bamberg County has 206 positive COVID-19 cases and the ninth highest infection rate per capita in the state. In order to decrease the spread of the virus, Bamberg County Council supported the mask ordinance. “It is important that Bamberg County citizens stay home when possible, social distance when in public, wear a mask, and wash their hands frequently,” stated Evert Comer, Bamberg County Council and sponsor of the ordinance. “We are all in this together, and the more efforts we take to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors, the sooner we can get back to normal.”
The entire face covering ordinance can be found on the Bamberg County website: http://www.bambergcountysc.gov/Data/Sites/1/media/mask-ordinance.pdf