Businesses in Plano would be required to make their employees and visitors wear masks under a proposed city ordinance that will be considered this week.
Plano City Council on June 29 called an emergency meeting for June 30 to discuss and vote on the ordinance, which is similar to an order adopted more than a week ago in Dallas County.
Under the proposed language, businesses that provide goods and services to the public would have to adopt a health and safety policy that would require face coverings in areas where 6 feet of separation is not feasible.
Plano businesses would also have to post a notice informing employees and guests of the rule “in a conspicuous location.”
Like the Dallas County order approved June 19, the mask-wearing rule would come with some exceptions. Guests at restaurants would not be made to cover their face while eating or drinking, and other services that would be “impaired” by a mask would not be affected.
It was not immediately clear when the Plano ordinance, if approved, would be set to expire. The draft ordinance filed June 29 would go into effect immediately upon passage. An expiration date was not included in the draft version.
The ordinance would carry no penalty for people who choose not to wear a face covering. Businesses that do not implement the health and safety plan would be subject to a fine each day they are not in compliance.
The proposed ordinance comes as the number of known coronavirus cases continues to climb among Plano residents. As of a June 29 report from the city, 157 Plano residents have active cases of COVID-19 that have been confirmed by test. This number was 34% higher than the number of active confirmed cases at the beginning of June.
The June 30 meeting will be held via videoconference and broadcast online at the city's website.
