On Friday, July 3, 2020 at 6 p.m. Horry County Council passed a mandatory facemask ordinance for all locals and tourists county-wide
Horry County includes the cities of Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Conway, Loris, Aynor, and Garden City Beach.
The ordinance states that all customers and employees at retail businesses, including grocery stores, pharmacies and hair salons, are required to wear masks.
Restaurant visitors are not required to wear masks, however. The ordinance states that only employees are required to wear masks at dining establishments.
The exemptions to the ordinance includes:
- Any person who is unable to safely wear a face mask due to age or underlying health condition
- Any person who is unable to remove the face mask without the assistance of others
- Those whose religious beliefs prevent him/her from wearing a face mask
- When law enforcement directs a person to remove their face mask
Anyone who fails to comply could face a $25 fine for the first offense, a $50 fine for the second offense and $100 for the third offense.