Richland, Lexington, other Midlands, SC, counties still should wear masks, CDC says

People in the majority of Midlands counties should still be wearing masks indoors to help prevent contracting the coronavirus, according to federal health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made new recommendation about masks this week that suggest the majority of counties in the United States no longer need to require masks wearing indoors.

However, most Midlands counties exceed the spread of COVID-19 to stop wearing masks indoors, according to the CDC. Richland, Kershaw, Lexington, Fairfield, Newberry and Saluda counties all have high levels of COVID spread.

In counties with high levels of COVID, indoor mask wearing is still recommended by the CDC. People at high risk for severe illness may need to take extra precautions in counties with high levels of COVID. Those precautions are outlined on the CDC’s website.

Calhoun and Sumter counties have a medium level of COVID spread, while Orangeburg is at low levels, the CDC said.

David Travis Bland

The State

803-771-8342‬

David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription