Columbia and West Columbia joined Cayce last week in mandating facemasks.

The emergency ordinances in the three cities began at 6 am Sept. 10 and will last for 30 days.

Lexington School District Two has also imposed facemasks to try to keep from having to close schools like other Lexington County districts and go to vitual learning.

Lexington Medical Center urged local governments to impose the mandates saying public health was “in peril due to overwhelming number of covid-related hospitalizations.”

Cayce passed the emergency ordinance Tuesday while Columbia and West Columbia passed theirs Wednesday.

“With only roughly 4 out of every 10 people in a room in SC vaccinated, we are stuck in the same place we were last year, and maybe even worse,” Cayce Mayor Elise Partin said. “The hospital is pleading with us to mask up until we get more people vaccinated. Thank you for masking up and getting vaccinated to support our businesses to keep them safely open and to support our hospitals and all those who take care of us when we need them.”

West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles said, “The hospitals are not able to provide the standard of care they want and normally can provide due to the overload from unvaccinated patients at the hospital. The vaccination helps prevent those issues. What cannot be prevented are the car wrecks, heart attacks, and open heart surgery patients who can no longer get those surgeries due to the strain that the pandemic is putting on our health care system. This decision is based on a 100% health care crisis on our health care system.”

Businesses, where masks are required, must place a “Notice” (poster, placard, or notification, which shall be at least 8”x11”) in a conspicuous place notifying the public of the requirement to wear a face covering.

Face coverings must be worn inside any foodservice establishment, retail establishment, hair salons, nail salons, barber shops, personal hygiene establishments, medical offices, and city buildings including

Face covering will not be required:

• by any person who is unable to safely wear a Face Covering due to age or an underlying health condition;

• by any person who is physically unable to remove the Face Covering without the assistance of others;

• by all persons 2 years of age or under;

• all persons whose religious beliefs prevent them from wearing a Face Covering;

• any person in a private or individual office;

• where it is not feasible to wear a Face Covering, including persons receiving oral health services, persons swimming,

engaging in athletic activities, patrons of foodservice establishments while they are dining, and police officers, firefighters, and other first responders when not practical or engaged in a public safety matter of an emergency nature.