SC Senate Democrats want Gov. McMaster to mandate masks for 60 days to stop COVID-19
South Carolina Senate Democrats said they want Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to mandate mask-wearing statewide for 60 days to blunt the further spread of COVID-19, and should he resist those calls, Democrats said they’ll push the issue when the Legislature returns in January.
South Carolina is experiencing yet another surge of positive cases statewide after the Thanksgiving holiday that is putting a strain on the state’s health care system, the 16-member Senate Democratic Caucus wrote in a joint release after its virtual retreat Wednesday.
The state’s public health department reported Wednesday another 2,424 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 42 deaths.
Since March, the state has logged more than 241,000 cases and 4,444 deaths.
“Nearly 5,000 of our own are dead,” the caucus wrote. “We cannot continue to sit back and allow this to happen.”
State health leaders have issued strong caution and a warning that despite the shipments of a vaccine arriving in the state, South Carolinians need to maintain social distancing along with washing hands and wearing masks to stop the spread of the potentially deadly respiratory virus.
McMaster has to date resisted calls to implement a statewide mask mandate, calling it hard to enforce, and instead relying on local governments — for example, the city of Columbia, which extended its mask mandate for two more months — to enact their own rules.
But the governor also has urged South Carolinians to heed warnings from health leaders, asking people most recently to redouble their efforts to ensure that South Carolina avoids yet another surge after the holiday break in December.
McMaster’s pinned Twitter post is a photo of him wearing a mask with the words, “Wear a mask. Wear a mask. Wear a mask.”
“The governor appreciates the ideas and perspectives of the Senate Democratic Caucus as well as the Senate Republican Caucus,” said Brian Symmes, McMaster’s spokeman. “His position on mask mandates, closing businesses and shutting the state down is clear, reasonable and has placed South Carolina’s economy in a better position than virtually any other state in the nation.”
That has not been enough, Senate Democrats say.
“Scientific evidence and guidance provided by medical experts show that wearing masks can effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” they said. “The powers granted to the Governor during this time of emergency allow him to mandate this. He can, without a doubt, spare vulnerable lives if he chooses to exercise this power. This is long overdue, but we are asking him to take immediate action now.”
Should McMaster refuse, which is inevitable, Democrats said state Sen. Kevin Johnson, of Clarendon County, will push a joint resolution when they return to the State House on Jan. 12 that will require by law South Carolinians to wear masks.
“These demands do not come lightly,” they wrote. “People across South Carolina will continue to suffer if Gov. McMaster does not act quickly. We will continue to fight for our constituents, and to prevent further tragedy.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 5:55 PM with the headline "SC Senate Democrats want Gov. McMaster to mandate masks for 60 days to stop COVID-19."
