WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council once again voted against reinstating the county’s emergency COVID-19 ordinance.
The vote was 4-3, but because it’s an emergency ordinance, a two-thirds majority (five votes) is required.
Council members supporting the ordinance say it’s necessary to protect county employees and the public from contracting the novel coronavirus.
Those opposed to the emergency measure point to a provision in it that would prohibit the public from attending public meetings.
Since peaking at 35 daily cases on January 12, Fairfield County has seen confirmed COVID-19 cases tumble to an average of about three per day between March 13 and March 20, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data.
However, Fairfield County reported 32 probable cases on March 18, DHEC data shows.
