Palmetto to consider mask signage ordinance for businesses and public buildings

Businesses in the city of Palmetto may soon be required to post signage recommending that customers wear face coverings inside.

Palmetto City Commission will consider an emergency ordinance and hear public comment on the issue at a meeting on Monday.

The proposed ordinance is nearly identical to one passed by Bradenton City Council this week. It would require signs to be posted at each entrance to a business or public building.

The signs must either require or recommend face coverings. Alternatively, the signs can outline U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that face coverings should be used in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Palmetto’s proposed sign ordinance would not mandate that members of the public wear masks, and it also would not require businesses to enforce the recommendations.

City officials did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether the sign ordinance will be enforced with fines or other measures.

If passed, the new rules would go into effect on July 24 for a period of 60 days, unless extended.

Health officials across the globe are unanimous in the recommendation of face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets. Recent studies support the effectiveness of mask use. A study published in Health Affairs journal found a significant drop in the growth rate of COVID-19 in 15 states and Washington D.C. after mask mandates were issued. The study suggests that up to 450,000 cases of COVID-19 may have been prevented by the mask mandates.

Considerations regarding mask usage from Bradenton and Palmetto come as Manatee County and the state of Florida witness record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 infections and local hospitals hit capacity.

Like much of the statewide response to COVID-19, the approach to mask regulations has varied widely between local governments.

Manatee and Sarasota counties have recommended the use of face coverings but declined to issue any regulations.

Other area municipalities including Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, the town of Longboat Key and Sarasota have opted for more stringent measures that require face coverings in public and enforce violations with fines.