GREENWOOD, Arkansas — The Greenwood City Council has shot down an ordinance requiring residents to wear face coverings in public spaces where social distancing could not be practiced.
On Monday (July 6), at a Greenwood City Council meeting, Mayor Doug Kinslow added an addition to the agenda to discuss an ordinance making face coverings mandatory in the city.
The discussion was brought up just days after Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson's announcement that cities would have the authority to adopt masks ordinances as they choose following guidelines set by the Arkansas Municipal League and the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).
Following a discussion by city leaders and the city council, the ordinance was declined.
Those in attendance agreed Greenwood residents would wear masks if asked to by business owners, who are following the state-mandated guidelines set by the ADH. Therefore, an ordinance to enforce face masks citywide was not needed.
As of Tuesday, July 7, there have been 622 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sebastian County, with 282 of the cases still active, according to the ADH.