Will Columbus require masks to prevent COVID-19 spread? Legal barriers may prevent it
Cities and states around the country are moving to require face masks in public spaces to help to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Columbus won’t be one of them.
Mayor Skip Henderson says at this time, the city does not have plans to require mask-wearing in public.
Requiring masks anywhere in Georgia is a difficult legal feat due to Governor Kemp’s mandate prohibiting municipal governments from passing any rules that are “less or more restrictive” than those in the state mandate.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson challenged that by issuing an emergency order June 30 requiring masks to be worn in public in the city of Savannah.
Savannah’s mandate states that it is intended to supplement, and not be inconsistent with, Kemp’s mandate.
Columbus will not follow Savannah in requiring masks. Henderson says it comes down to a difference of interpretation of Kemp’s mandate, and that he and the city attorney interpret the governor’s mandate to mean that the city does not have the authority to pass a mandate requiring masks.
If the mandate in Savannah stands, however, Henderson may consider following suit.
“I think everything is on the table. We want to watch and see how that’s gonna work in practical application and from an enforcement aspect,” Henderson said at a press conference Wednesday. “But yeah, absolutely. It’s something that we would consider if we thought it was going to help keep our community safe.”
Scientists worldwide and the CDC consider masks to be essential in stopping the spread of the virus. Cloth face coverings provide protection for others, but little protection for the wearer. Because people may be infected with COVID-19 without having symptoms, masks work best when worn by everyone.
“My frustration is in the fact that there’s a lot of people who seem to be disregarding that we have the control, we have the power to stop the spread,” Henderson said.
In the event that a mask requirement is possible, the practicality of enforcing it is a major concern for Henderson. One challenge is the sheer manpower needed to enforce a city-wide ordinance, he said. The ability to enforce penalties, such as fining or bringing charges against violators, adds to that challenge.
Without the ability to require masks, Henderson is encouraging residents to wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“If somebody said that there’s a vaccine ... (that) it’d be free, and we would be able to completely stop the spread, would they do it? Absolutely,” Henderson said. “We’ve got the vaccine — the vaccine is social distancing, masks. It’s free, it doesn’t cost anything, all you’ve got to do is participate.”
The Columbus Public Health Department is redoubling its efforts to encourage masks. The department is expected to launch a district-wide mask campaign in the coming weeks that would put 45,000 masks in the hands of District 7 residents, according to DPH spokesperson Pamela Kirkland.
Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), dean of the Georgia House of Representatives and a member of Kemp’s coronavirus community outreach taskforce, said he would support a mask requirement in Columbus.
“I, for one, always tend to lean towards local control,” he said this week. “When you’re the mayor, you’re the CEO of that city. You’re directly responsible for that city. ...(So) having that local power over the things that happen in your city is always a good thing.”