AUGUSTA, Ga. – Aiken City Council members will consider rescinding its mask ordinance at a special called meeting next week.
Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon requested a called City Council meeting for Wednesday, May 5, at 5 p.m. to consider a resolution to rescind the City’s face covering ordinance that was first approved in November 2020.
The ordinance requires masks to be worn in restaurant and business establishments in the city of Aiken in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Businesses within the city limits are also required to post signage informing patrons of the ordinances at their entrances.
Under the ordinance, violators could face a misdemeanor charge and be fined $25 relative to trespassing as defined in South Carolina Code Section 16-11-520 if they refuse to leave the premises.
The resolution, if approved, would remove any city-mandated face covering requirements but would not preclude individual businesses from having their own face covering requirement.
Should approval to rescind the ordinance occur, the face covering ordinance would expire at 6 a.m. on May 6.
The called meeting follows South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster calling on local cities and counties to remove any remaining restrictions as vaccinations have become available.
