Roswell Mayor Mandates Mask Use In City Buildings

ROSWELL, GA — In conjunction with Gov. Brian Kemp’s Aug. 15 executive order, Roswell Mayor Lori Henry has issued an updated executive order, mandating visitors to city buildings and facilities wear face coverings. The new executive order also extends existing COVID-19 public health and safety measures through Aug. 31.

All individuals are now required to wear a face covering or mask upon entering Roswell’s buildings, such as city hall and recreation centers, and must continue to wear the face covering in publicly accessible areas of the municipal buildings. The use of face coverings/masks on outdoor public property, while not mandated, is strongly encouraged. Open spaces in Roswell parks, for instance, provide adequate opportunity for physical distancing.

“I strongly encourage everyone to wear a mask when outside your home, social distance when it is possible, wash your hands frequently and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces,” Henry said. “I know when the Roswell community works together, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 and see our numbers fall.”

The new executive orders continue to ban gatherings of more than 50 people (unless there is 6-feet between each person), require social distancing measures for non-cohabitating individuals, reiterate mandatory criteria for businesses, and require continued sheltering in place for those living in long-term care facilities and the medically fragile.

In addition to the latest executive order, the mayor’s Business Recovery Task Force will soon be rolling out a new initiative, the Come Back Safely Pledge Campaign. A collaboration among the City of Roswell and its economic development and tourism partners, Roswell Inc and Visit Roswell (Convention and Visitors Bureau), the Come Back Safely campaign is a community-wide public health and engagement campaign to encourage best practices in slowing transmission of COVID-19, including wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Be on the lookout for more information about this effort in the coming days.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, masks help slow the spread of COVID-19, protecting the people around you. Face coverings work to slow the spread when they are widely used by people when they are out in public. For more information about the importance of mask use to prevent further transmission of COVID-19, as well as guidelines regarding how to properly and effectively wear a mask, visit www.CDC.gov.

To read the full text of the governor’s or the mayor’s new executive orders and for all City of Roswell updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic response, visit www.roswellgov.com/coronavirus.