SC Lt. Gov. criticized for not wearing mask in holiday party photos as COVID cases surge
Two days before Gov. Henry McMaster and state health officials warned the public about soaring coronavirus cases, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette attended the Greenville County Republican Christmas party and posed for pictures of herself with attendees, including S.C. First Lady Peggy McMaster, who also was not wearing a face covering.
The photos were posted on Twitter the day before McMaster and state health officials called a press conference and urged South Carolinians to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing and not attending large gatherings as the holiday season takes place.
State Epidemiologist Linda Bell noted the record-setting case numbers and called the virus “the worst it has been” since the beginning of the pandemic. Evette, McMaster and other health leaders stood nearby, wearing masks.
Party officials and Gov. McMaster’s office confirmed to The State on Thursday that the governor did not attend the event.
Greenville County GOP Chairman Nate Leupp said Evette wore a mask and Peggy McMaster wore a face shield to the event, and only took off the face coverings when taking photos, which usually took less than a minute.
The Centers for Disease Control defines close contact being within 6 feet of each other for at least 15 minutes.
Evette, who earlier this year recovered from COVID-19, had her mask in her hand in one photo, and stood shoulder to shoulder with people in the pictures shared on her Twitter account.
“I think most anybody who would be looking at a picture of the lieutenant governor not wearing a mask while she’s taking a picture understands, she being one who already has had COVID, has the antibodies is not going to be transmitting (the virus) to someone standing next to them,” Leupp said. “It comes down to whether we’re doing something purely for a show or are we doing something to make sure people are safe.”
“It’s very common these days to remove a mask for a picture and put it right back on, and you’re not looking at the person and you’re not going to be sending droplets their way,” Leupp added.
Pictures from the event were posted on Evette’s Twitter account on Tuesday, and criticism ensued, mostly accusing Evette and other officials of lacking leadership.
Some of that criticism came from former state Rep. Gary Clary, an Upstate Republican who did not run for re-election and represented an area where cases are surging.
“Getting together without masks sends the wrong message we’re trying to communicate. People need to wear masks, social distance and not gather in large crowds,” Clary later told The State.
Others replying to tweet said the photos go against the advice of the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the CDC about wearing a mask and calling the event a superspreader.
Clary said he’s worried about the example the pictures set.
“Everyone needs to be vigilant. We’re paying the price for Thanksgiving right now. Who knows what it’s going to be for Christmas and New Year’s,” Clary said.
The event on Monday took place in a large airplane hanger, estimated to be tens of thousands of square feet, at the Greenville Downtown Airport to allow for social distancing. However, photos shared on the Greenville GOP’s Facebook page, do not show much mask wearing.
Leupp said machines were brought in to clear COVID-19 from the air. The event attended by 200 people, but people came and went, and there were no more than 150 people in the room at one time. Leupp added the Greenville County GOP has held three or four events and he has not had any reports of people contracting the coronavirus from the party’s gatherings.
McMaster’s spokesman said the event was safely held.
“The event was held in an airport hangar where social distancing could easily be accomplished,” said Brian Symmes, the spokesperson for the governor’s office. “Governor McMaster, the first lady and the lieutenant governor wear a face covering when it’s necessary — as all South Carolinians should — and take them off briefly to take pictures.”
Evette wore a mask during the hour-long news conference on Wednesday while standing behind the governor and other speakers, who also wore masks.
When McMaster and others spoke at the lectern they took off their masks, a common practice during news conferences around the country while speakers and reporters are spread out.
However, Bell, the state epidemiologist, and DHEC Interim Director Marshall Taylor kept their masks on when they each spoke at the lectern.
