Gov. McMaster issues Executive Order limiting local mask mandates

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– At the same time the City of Columbia was extending its mask mandate, Governor Henry McMaster issued an Executive Order limiting local mask ordinances. According to the governor’s office, the order prohibits any local governments in the state from relying on prior orders or using a state of emergency as the basis for a local mask mandate.

“With the COVID-19 vaccine readily available and case numbers dropping, I will not allow local governments to use the state of emergency declaration as a reason for implementing or maintaining mask mandates,” said Gov. McMaster. “Everybody knows what we need to do to stay safe – including wearing a mask if you’re at risk of exposing others – but we must move past the time of governments dictating when and where South Carolinians are required to wear a mask. Maintaining the status quo ignores all of the great progress we’ve made.”

The order also gives parents in the state the right to opt out of mask requirements in schools.

“We have known for months that our schools are some of the safest places when it comes to COVID-19,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “With every adult in our state having the opportunity to receive a vaccine, it goes against all logic to continue to force our children – especially our youngest children – to wear masks against their parents’ wishes. Whether a child wears a mask in school is a decision that should be left only to a student’s parents.”

The governor says the order also prohibits any government agency from requiring documentation proving someone has been vaccinated. “Vaccine passports will have no place in South Carolina. The very idea is un-American to its core,” said the governor.