The purpose of this petition is to ask Mayor Will Haynie and Mount Pleasant Town Council to strongly consider requiring that face masks be worn by all residents (except those who are unable to wear a mask because of age or underlying illness) while in public.

As parents, we want our children to have the opportunity to return to school this summer and fall. But if we don't begin to see a decrease in Charleston County's coronavirus case numbers, that will be an unattainable goal. 

While SCDHEC recommends wearing protective face coverings while in public, many Charleston County residents are ignoring the recommendations as evidenced by the increase in coronavirus case numbers in our county. And while it seems obvious that wearing a mask is an act of hygiene and common courtesy, there are enough Charleston County residents who are blatantly ignoring the fact that the virus still remains rampant. 

At this point in the pandemic, little is know about the virus except that it is easily and quickly spread by way of the mouth and nose. Requiring those who are able to wear face coverings over the mouth and nose would limit exposure and begin to once again flatten the curve.

Unfortunately, wearing a mask does not do as much to help protect me as it does if others around me are wearing a mask. That's why I'm asking Mayor Haynie and Mount Pleasant Town Council to consider requiring EVERYONE to wear a mask while in public. It seems such a simple sacrifice for the members of our community to make to ensure that our students can safely get back to school this fall.