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FEB. 4 - 17, 2021
What exactly are the obligations under the North Carolina and federal mask mandates? What is the obligation of a place of business or a government facility to require them of employees or customers? The answer to this question and other questions about requirements for face coverings can be found in a 10-page executive order issued by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper on Nov. 23 (2020), which took effect Nov. 25. The executive order was, according to the state’s website, intended to tighten the statewide mask requirement which had been issued last March – “making it clear that everyone needs to wear a mask whenever they are with someone who is not from the same household.” Besides the previously issued face covering requirements covering situations where social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained, Executive Order 180 added the face covering requirement to several additional settings including: • Any public indoor space (this includes restaurants, where patrons are supposed to wear a mask at all times – including at their table – except when they are eating or drinking); • Private indoor space “if anyone else is in that space who is not a member of the same household;” • Gyms, even when strenuously exercising; • All schools, public and private; • And all public or private transportation when travelling with people outside of the household. The following are excerpts from Executive Order 180 … “Face coverings must be worn in all indoor public settings where other individuals may be present, regardless of one’s perceived ability to maintain physi-
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Updated face covering requirements for residents and business owners in North Carolina are outlined in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 180, which went into effect Nov. 25. cal distance of at least six (6) feet… “Businesses in North Carolina must do their part to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19 in North Carolina, by ensuring their employees and guests wear face coverings at all times while on their premises, and by denying entry to those guests who do not wear face coverings, unless an exception to the requirement applies; “Face coverings should continue to be worn outdoors when it is not possible to consistently be physically distant, by at least six (6) feet, from non-household members.” As with previous executive orders, Executive Order 180 notes several exceptions
to the face covering requirement – “for example, face coverings are not required for people under 5 years of age, people who have a behavioral condition or disability, or people who are actively eating or drinking.” Under Executive Order 180, there is a penalty for individuals and businesses that do not adhere to the face covering requirements. The penalty, a Class 2 misdemeanor, could result in a fine of up to $1,000 or active punishment. For more info on Gov. Cooper’s face mask mandates, or to view Executive Order 180 in its entirety, visit www.covid19.ncdhhs.gov.
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