The Holmes Beach City Commission met in the morning June 25 and voted to adopt an emergency order mandating face coverings in public when social distancing cannot be maintained.
Anna Maria commissioners followed suit at their June 25 evening meeting.
The HB order will go into effect at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28, and Anna Maria will begin enforcement at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 27.
The Holmes Beach order refers to public health guidelines and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and states, “CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain in order to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.”
The Holmes Beach measure — the first of its kind in Manatee County — contains exceptions for ADA and some other circumstances, such as while eating and drinking in restaurants.
In Holmes Beach, if compliance is not achieved after a warning, the fine for the first offense will be $250.
The Holmes Beach ordinance is posted at www.holmesbeachfl.org.
Anna Maria’s emergency order is directed mostly at retail stores and restaurants, with a $50 fine for failure to comply. The city exempted restaurant customers while dining or drinking and office workers who practice social distancing.
Anna Maria commissioners plan to address outdoor mask requirements in the coming week.
For more on masks, read the July 1 edition of The Islander.
Thanks to Holmes Beach for providing joining what should become an all island effort no matter what the state and county say, think, do or don’t do regarding covid and parking. In spite of your article stating local residents are “unconcerned” about Covid Virus spread, the vast majority of island residents are deeply concerned and the actions of our elected officials reflect that. Special thanks to many concerned residents who are attending city Zoom meetings, writing, talking about their concerns about spiking covid, parking, development, infrastructure and more. It is they who are constructively contributing intelligent, workable suggestions in support of our local island elected officials efforts to make the best policy for everyone residents first. Home Rule becomes stronger and more necessary every day. Anyone looking for a free, easy way to make your voice heard and your vote count at the state level go to http://www.homerulefl.com . Democracy is at work here – let’s all start being an active part of it and move our own Community agenda forward!
Isn’t there a way to post a list of stores refusing to enforce mask wearing? Those of us who remember the flap when seat belts were made mandatory (“Nobody can tell me what to do in my own car! And it doesn’t really save lives anyhow!”) would vote with our pocketbooks – we just wouldn’t patronize those stores. My family have already put Fresh Market on our “never going there again” because they insist they can’t require masks when it’s not true, and we’ve written to Publix corporate several times because they’re so lax on island about even their own employees.
Thank you.