GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is working on an ordinance that would fine businesses that violate mask and capacity rules. The commissioners plan to vote on the ordinance at a meeting on Wednesday. One aim of the ordinance is to make a uniformed set of COVID-19 related restrictions and enforcement of violations for all the municipalities in the county.
This move is expected as Governor Cooper announced a modified Stay-At-Home order on Tuesday. Cooper said more than 80 percent of North Carolina counties have high or critical COVID-19 numbers, a trend he called alarming.
The modified Executive Order 181 requires people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. starting this Friday. Businesses, restaurants, and most retail stores will have to close at 10 p.m. every night. In addition, all on-site alcohol consumption sales must end by 9 pm.
Business owners are voicing their concerns not just about the growing cases of infection, but about the continued impact that restriction would have on local businesses.
They say while a majority of businesses and their patrons are doing what needs to be done, a few others are not.
"Getting together with other people, making the virus more spreadable, that has got to stop," said Jackie White of Greensboro.
White owns the African American Art and More gift shop at the Four Seasons Mall.
She said many of the people not abiding by the COVID-19 orders are creating more problems for business owners and other customers.
"Every now and then we get somebody who's not down with the cause and we just address them as so," White said.
Guilford County commissioners hope the ordinance would address some of those issues surrounding enforcement and consequences for violations if the board votes to approve it.
The ordinance would spell out the fines for businesses that violate mask orders, capacity limits, and alcohol sale curfew.
"We're going to make sure that we don't have to have another shut down. That's the last thing any of us need but we do have some bad apples out there," said Skip Alston, Chair, Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
"People are dying and the businesses that are not practicing the social distancing and those businesses that are not going by the governor's ordinances they are part of the problem," Alston said.
Some Guilford County business leaders said they're trying to stay ahead and communicate the urgency of the situation to the business community.
"We are collectively sharing the reality with businesses and saying you've got to play by the rules or these are the consequences," said Patrick Chapin of Business High Point.
"The easiest thing you can do is wear your mask, keep your social distance, wash your hands, be polite, be patient and shop local," said Chapin.
With the governor's recommendation that folks stay at home and work from home, a 'yes' vote on a Guilford County ordinance that will mirror it is most likely.
Commissioner Alston said if the ordinance is approved Wednesday night, there will be time for community awareness with public service announcements and notifications before enforcement will commence.
