SC Gov. McMaster says it’d be ‘impossible’ to enforce a statewide rule requiring masks
Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday that enforcing a statewide rule requiring South Carolinians to wear a mask would be “impossible” as the state’s public health agency reported the state had logged nearly 1,300 new COVID-19 cases.
But the Columbia Republican said there is “no problem” with city leaders in Columbia and Charleston adopting their own rules.
“(It’s) virtually impossible to fashion a statewide rule on masks,” McMaster said during a press conference. “These mandates are, in the end, are unenforceable. ... It’s not the right policy for government. It’s not what the government needs to do.”
But the governor still urged South Carolinians to wear face masks and practice social distancing.
“We’re telling you in the strongest, most urgent terms to follow these rules and wear those masks,” McMaster said, specifically targeting younger people. “You know when you need to wear it and you need to wear it. Put it on.”
McMaster spent more than five minutes stressing how many young people were not wearing masks and not social distancing. He urged those younger than 30 to be mindful that COVID-19 is a “dangerous” and “deadly” disease and they can easily spread to older, more vulnerable adults.
McMaster’s remarks came days after state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bill told reporters that a statewide mandate to wear masks would help slow the virus’ spread, marking one of the first times Bell has weighed in on a policy change countering with the governor.
Studies have shown that states that do not require them have seen a surge in coronavirus cases.
Earlier this month, McMaster told reporters he had no plans to force residents to wear masks. He said instead that curbing the spread of COVID-19 was a matter of “individual responsibility.”
Surrounding states and cities in South Carolina have required masks.
In South Carolina, officials in Columbia, Charleston and Greenville passed mask orders. North Carolina’s governor did the same.
McMaster declined to take a position on whether businesses had the right to ask people who refuse to wear a mask to leave.
“That’s a legal question,” he told a reporter.
McMaster did say Friday that it’s “impracticable that we have a mandate that everyone wear a mask” because it is not enforceable.
“The cities do have some authority. It must be strictly limited and according to the law. But they do have authority. Every city is different, and the businesses in those cities are different, the circumstance, the clientele the people, and if they want to enforce a reasonable, legal limitation, then there is no opposition to that.”
Positive cases are continuing to rise in the Palmetto State.
On Friday, the state’s health agency reported 1,273 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state’s total case count to 30,263.
Despite that increase, the governor said Friday that did was not considering ordering businesses or the beaches to close.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 4:55 PM.
