Along with extending its emergency mask ordinance, Richland County Council is making it easier to comply with the rule by distributing thousands of face coverings throughout the County.

The ordinance, which requires residents to wear face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, went into effect July 6 and was set to expire this week. On Monday, Council voted to extend the ordinance for another 61 days.

“The County is working hard to ensure we are doing what we can to keep residents safe and informed during the pandemic,” Administrator Leonardo Brown said. “The ongoing trend of positive cases of COVID-19 in the County make extending this ordinance vital to residents’ safety.”

The ordinance is based on guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has advised that cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19.

Violating the County’s ordinance can result in fines of up to $25 for individuals or $100 for businesses.

Recently, the County acquired and packaged about 67,000 disposable masks, which will be distributed at various sites in packs of two on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“We will be hosting several mask distribution events in the coming weeks to ensure residents have access to masks so we can help slow the spread of coronavirus in our community,” Brown said.

For more about Richland County’s mask ordinance, visit www.richlandcountysc.gov/facemasks.

Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown helps package disposable face masks as part of County employees’ efforts to distribute about 67,000 of the masks to residents.