Click HERE to download the Mask up Aransas County Press Release
Click HERE to download the signed letter by our Officials
Click HERE to download the Mask Up Aransas County FAQ's
Q. Are masks requested to be worn in the Rockport-Fulton area?
Yes. Our Judge and Mayors have signed an appeal for residents and visitors to please wear their mask as a way to combat the Coronavirus and slow the spread. Any person entering and while inside a commercial business establishment within the Rockport-Fulton area is requested to wear a face covering.
Q. What is Mask Up Aransas County?
Mask Up Aransas County is a special community campaign going on for the next eight weeks in regards to wearing a mask. The Aransas County Women's Lions Club will be coordinating a weekly $100 cash giveaway along with various other prizes from local businesses to award to residents and visitors wearing their masks. If you don’t wear a mask, you are not eligible to win.
Q. What is meant by a face covering?
A face covering means a cloth or other type of masking device that covers the wearer’s nose and mouth, and which remains in place without the use of the wearer’s hands. A commercial business establishment means any establishment located in a closed building or other indoor environment that primarily sells goods or services, or a combination of them, to the general public, including but not limited to grocery stores, restaurants, lobbies and public spaces in hotels, motels and timeshare complexes, pharmacies, bars, salons, retails stores, local attractions, medical and dental offices.
Q. Does this apply to everyone - residents and visitors?
All individuals living in or visiting the Rockport-Fulton area are requested to wear a mask in commercial establishments, unless they meet exceptions for underlying conditions.
Q. Why should I wear a face covering?
The Texas State Department of Health Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise the use of face coverings to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. According to the CDC, cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected because he or she does not have symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators. Cloth face coverings are not personal protective equipment.
Q. What are rules regarding face coverings for children?
Please follow CDC guidelines for children. According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should not be placed on children younger than 2 years old or anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.
Q. What if I have an underlying condition?
The ordinance allows the following exceptions for persons with underlying conditions: any person who is unable to safely wear a Face Covering due to age, an underlying health condition, or who is unable to don or remove the Face Covering without the assistance of others, any person eating or consuming food and beverages; and persons receiving medical care or treatment.
Q. Do gyms have to require people to wear a mask while working out?
Yes. Individuals within a gym are within an indoor commercial establishment.
Q. If I am patronizing a local restaurant with outdoor seating, do I need to wear a mask?
A mask is requested when inside a commercial business, therefore indoor restaurant patrons are requested to wear masks. However, it is appropriate to wear a mask while waiting for food and drinks. It is appropriate to remove the mask while eating and replace it when finished.
Q. Do I need to wear a mask on the beach or at a pool?
No. The CDC encourages the use of cloth face coverings among beach and pool visitors. Face coverings should be worn when feasible and are most essential at times when social distancing is difficult. The CDC advises those wearing cloth face coverings to not wear them in the water, because they can be difficult to breathe through when they’re wet. This means it is particularly important to maintain social distancing in the water.
Q. Do I need to wear a mask on pathways or while participating in other outdoor activities?
We do encourage you to follow precautions from our state health department and the CDC. Those include wearing a face covering, staying six feet apart, washing your hands, covering your cough with a tissue and staying home if you are sick.
Q. Do my employees need to wear a mask?
Yes. All commercial business establishments are requested to require all employees to wear a face covering at all times that the employees are in any area where the general public is allowed, or when the employees must be in close proximity to one another.
Q. Does this apply to churches, and, if I am a minister, do I need to wear a mask while preaching?
Yes. Employees or staff at establishments are requested to wear a face covering at all times that they are in any area where the general public is allowed, or when they must be in close proximity to one another. Speaking loudly or singing can also produce droplets for which a mask should be worn.
Q. Do I need to have proof of my medical condition?
The Southeast ADA Center, a regional arm of the ADA National Network, has produced some helpful guidance on the subject of face mask regulations and individuals who may suffer from a disability that would make wearing the mask unsafe. A copy of that document can be found here.
Q. Will I be penalized for not wearing a mask?
Not wearing a mask in compliance with the ordinance is a misdemeanor and may result in an arrest and fine. Businesses not in compliance may have their business license suspended or revoked.
Q. What do I do if I see individuals not wearing masks or face coverings in businesses?
If you encounter someone not wearing a face covering, we recommend you distance yourself at least six feet. While the state has provisions for violators, our focus is on education in order to gain our community’s compliance.
Q. If I suspect that I have symptoms, can I still wear my masks and enter commercial business establishments?
If you have symptoms, the CDC advises that you stay home. If you need to be tested for the virus, you are encouraged to use the “self checker” and follow the steps here for testing locations.