Durham Mandates Face Masks in Public AND Private Spaces

DURHAM – It would not have been hard to predict that some of the most repressive local government reactions to the coronavirus panic would come from those ‘woke’ parts of North Carolina where social justice agendas and enforcing controlling dogmas reigns supreme. That’s why it is of little surprise that it’s the of the Bull City leadership that has now mandated the wearing of face coverings in public and private spaces.

The mayor and city council of Durham updated their social distancing mandates Friday to add the face covering requirement.

“[…] In the amended City-County Stay-At-Home Order, the wearing of face coverings is noted in Provision D Social Distancing and Sanitation Requirements, item 10:

a) Requires people to wear a clean face covering any time they are or will be in contact with other people who are not household members in public or private spaces where it is not possible to maintain social distance such as grocery stories, pharmacies, business location and public transit. While wearing the face covering, it is essential to still maintain social distance insofar as possible since social distancing is the best defense against the spread of Coronavirus. […]”

Mandating face coverings, under threat of penalty, is likely to spread, unfortunately. There are many examples from around the country, most notably the mandates in Seattle. That ban led to police ripping a man from a city bus for not wearing a mask, and the cellphone footage laid bare just how dangerously authoritarian these edicts have become.

With that example fresh on the mind, Durham officials had at least enough sense to specifically assure that no one will be kicked off public transit for not wearing a face covering. However, it is pretty clear that this assurance is merely to avoid a PR disaster, rather than some benevolent exercise in restraint from the city leaders.

Those leaders also banned in-person showings by real estate agents, and expounded upon the micro-managing of what can and cannot be sold at farmers markets in the city.

Read more about the revised ‘Do as your told’ orders here.