Another SC city to consider mask mandate after attorney general sues Columbia

Clemson City Council has called a special meeting for Friday afternoon to discuss whether the city should require people to wear masks to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The council passed a resolution at its regular meeting on Monday strongly recommending mask wearing and decided to buy 5,000 KN95 masks for adults and 1,000 for children.

Several council members in the Monday meeting said they thought it was time for the city to mandate masks.

Council member Alesia Smith said she believed it was time for the city to tell people they are expected to wear masks.

“I’m not willing to take the risk of protecting our children,” she said. “We have children in hospitals. We have teachers fighting for their lives.”

Council member Catherine Watt said, “Certainly, dear God, I don’t want to see a dead child.”

If the council votes to mandate masks, the ordinance would include one school — Clemson Elementary. As of Wednesday, there were 19 students who had tested positive and 57 were in quarantine. No staff members have tested positive or were in quarantine.

The council agreed on Monday to put off discussion on a mask mandate until Friday.

Friday’s Clemson council meeting falls the day after S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson filed a lawsuit against the capital city of Columbia for its emergency declaration requiring face masks in the city’s elementary and middle schools.

This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 4:32 PM.