Employees of and visitors to some businesses in Hondo are required to wear masks after the Hondo City Council issued its 5th Emergency Decree in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic last Thursday, April 16.
The decree follows a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation that cloth face coverings be worn in public settings where maintaining social distances of at least six feet are difficult.
Hondo’s new directive requires that masks be when visiting hospitals, medical clinics, veterinary clinics, and restaurants.
“This is something that the staff has already been doing at these locations, but it is now mandatory for those visiting the sites to do so as well,” stated an April 17 letter signed by Mayor Jim Danner and City Manager Kim Davis.
Restaurant workers and employees of all essential businesses that have face-to-face contact with the public, including grocery stores, are also required to wear masks.
The decree also recommends that face masks be worn whenever a person leaves their home or essential business.
“Unfortunately, some people are silent carriers of this virus,” the April 17 letter states. “We need to stay vigilant to keep the impact to our friends, family and community to a minimum so we can continue to flatten the curve and reopen our businesses.”
By Marly Davis
Staff Writer