This Midlands city passes a new mask mandate as COVID surges

A Midlands city has reinstated a general mask mandate for the public.

In response to the recent uptick in cases of COVID-19 and at the request of Lexington Medical Center, the city of Cayce on Tuesday approved an emergency ordinance requiring residents wear masks in most public settings.

Cayce is the first city in the Midlands to re-impose a public masking requirement since the recent spike in coronavirus cases. The city had a mask mandate until earlier this year, when Gov. Henry McMaster set aside local mask rules across the state by executive order.

The emergency measure, which goes into effect on Friday, will require residents wear masks while inside a building open to the public — including businesses and other enclosed spaces where crowds might gather.

Anyone caught without a mask will be subject to a $25 fine. Businesses that fail to enforce the mandate or mask their employees will face a $100 fine.

The ordinance includes exceptions for those eating in a restaurant, working out in a gym or studio, or for “anyone who is unable to safely wear a face covering due to age, an underlying health condition, religious reasons, or is unable to remove the face covering without assistance,” according to a press release.

The measure specifically does not apply inside schools in the Cayce city limits. The S.C. Supreme Court recently struck down an emergency Columbia ordinance that enforced mask-wearing in schools, despite a state law prohibiting schools from enforcing mask mandates.

“With only roughly four out of every 10 people in a room in S.C. vaccinated, we are stuck in the same place we were last year, and maybe even worse,” said Mayor Elise Partin. “The hospital is pleading with us to mask up until we get more people vaccinated. Thank you for masking up and getting vaccinated to support our businesses to keep them safely open and to support our hospitals and all those who take care of us when we need them.”

In a letter to the city, Lexington Medical Center said the influx of COVID patients — 90% of whom the hospital said are unvaccinated — has imperiled its ability to continue providing medical care.

“We are overwhelmed with the latest surge of Covid-19 patients,” said the letter. “Our ICU has reached maximum capacity, to include ventilator use, on many days.”

The letter goes on to say the hospital has delayed surgical procedures to redeploy staff to cover COVID patients, making it difficult to cover emergency care. Many non-COVID patients have to wait to get critical care beds.

Lexington Medical Center asked the city to reimpose a mask mandate and encourage more people to get vaccinated against the disease.

“As a State, we have tried to rely on a strategy to trust that individuals will be responsible and make the right decision for themselves,” the letter said. “Based on current rates of vaccinations, deaths, hospitalizations, & infections, we are failing.”

The letter was signed by hospital CEO Tod Augsburger, chief medical officer Brent Powers and chief of staff Mac Nowell.

This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 9:08 AM.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription