REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- On Monday, masks became required in city buildings per Governor Carney’s order. Employees and visitors must wear a face covering inside regardless of vaccination status.
Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills says this is a step in the wrong direction.
"In July, the positivity rate was about 3.0 and now it’s 6.7 or higher," Mills said. "So I do feel we are going backwards we are taking a step backwards because our public meetings have gone from virtual to in-person and back to virtual again."
This latest regulation opens up a discussion if businesses would have to put face covering rules in due to the severity of the virus. Owner of Carltons Trey Kraus thinks there are other points of concern more important than his business.
"I think there’s going to be some mental health issues that we are going to have to deal with as a society if we get back into this," Kraus said. "I hope it doesn't get to that point. I hope there’s a way that we’ve learned over the past year that will help kind of preserve our sanity.
While the first domino may have fallen for mask mandates indoors, Mills says that business owners can enforce their own rules on face coverings and he does not want to discourage people from coming to Rehoboth.
"We’re still open. We’re welcoming," Mills said. "We’re just requiring the mask mandate indoors in city facilities. So that shouldn’t impede anybody from visiting us."