Cedar Park Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale has issued an emergency mandatory face covering order effective at 12:01 a.m. July 1.
Businesses and nonprofits within the city of Cedar Park must require employees and visitors over the age of 10 to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose when within 6 feet of another person, according to the June 29 order. Churches and places of worship are excluded from the order.
The city will not enforce the order with civil or criminal penalties, according to a city release, but businesses must require face coverings, per the order.
Face coverings are not required in some circumstances, according to the order, including:
- when eating, drinking or smoking;
- when outdoors;
- when engaging in exercise or physical activity at gyms, exercise facilities or health care facilities;
- when wearing a face covering poses a greater health, safety or security risk than not wearing one;
- when a person is within 6 feet of another person but separated by plexiglass or another strategy that provides adequate separation;
- when inside a building or facility that requires surveillance or screening like banks or financial institutions; or
- when under age 13 and at a day care, child care, youth camp or sports camp.
The order will end when either the order is terminated or the city's Declaration of Local State of Disaster is terminated.
The order requires businesses and nonprofits to post a sign on all facility entries notifying visitors of the mandatory order. Signs must be in English and Spanish. The city will provide downloadable, printable signs for businesses on the city website.
Original post: June 29, 3:12 p.m.
Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale will issue a mandatory mask order in Cedar Park effective July 1, according to a June 29 Facebook post.
The order will direct businesses and nonprofits to require their employees and visitors to wear face coverings indoors.
"The main reason to wear face coverings is not to protect ourselves, it’s to protect OTHERS from our spreading COVID should we have it but not realize it," Van Arsdale wrote in his post.
Van Arsdale wrote that Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, Round Rock and Taylor will issue similar orders. Round Rock City Council approved a face covering ordinance earlier June 29.
According to the Williamson County and Cities Health District, there are currently 17% of ICU beds available. Van Arsdale wrote Cedar Park has four ICU beds currently available.
"One of us, or someone we care about, may need an ICU bed this summer," he wrote. "We must do everything we can to make sure that bed will be there."
"Our main priority right now is to make choices that help our neighbors. It’s one of the things that makes us Cedar Park. So let’s keep being there for each other. We will get through this together," Van Arsdale wrote.
Cedar Park City Council discussed a city face covering order or ordinance at its June 25 meeting. After a thorough discussion, no action was taken.
