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Date: 1/5/2022
WILLIAMSBURG – The Williamsburg Board of Health unanimously approved a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces during a Dec. 30 special meeting over teleconference.
According to board Chair Donna Gibson, as of press time, there were around 20 active COVID-19 cases in the town, and all of them were scattered at different addresses. Prior to the approval of a mandate, the town had already required masks for all municipal buildings. The new mandate now encompasses the entirety of indoor public spaces in Williamsburg, including restaurants and bars.
Originally, the board was considering the possibility of implementing a certain type of mandate where masks would be required in indoor settings, and businesses would have an option to exclude themselves from mandate, but the board ultimately decided that this would have caused some confusion.
“If we start making some kind of exception, there’s going to be confusion out there with the people,” said Board of Health member Gordon Luce. “We can’t afford to have people get sick…as long as they’re protecting themselves.”
The new order allows people to take their masks off while sitting down and eating and drinking, but not while standing up. The mandate will be looked at every 30 days by the Board of Health and adjusted accordingly.
The board also spoke about possible enforcement mechanisms, including a business calling the police during a situation that escalates. Other than that though, a business has a right to ask a person to leave if they will not comply with the town-wide order.
During a joint meeting between the Board of Health and Board of Selectmen, there was a debate about who has the power to make these types of decisions regarding masks, to which both municipal bodies agreed that it was the job of the Board of Health’s ultimate responsibility.