Schools and local governments in South Carolina are banned from instituting mask mandates under an executive order signed Tuesday by Gov. Henry McMaster. "With every adult in our state having the opportunity to receive a [COVID-19] vaccine, it goes against all logic to continue to force our children ... to wear masks against their parents' wishes," McMaster said, per NPR, adding it would be up to parents to decide whether students wear masks. Most school districts in the state were requiring masks before Tuesday, per WLTX. City and county governments can't require masks, either, under the order, which supersedes public health orders and states of emergency. "We must move past the time of governments dictating when and where South Carolinians are required to wear a mask," McMaster said, claiming everybody already knows to wear a mask "if you're at risk of exposing others."
The CDC recommends fully vaccinated people—that is, those who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine at least two weeks ago—continue to wear masks in indoor public spaces as "the vaccination status of other people or whether they are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 is likely unknown." Everyone else, including those who've received one of two vaccine doses, are advised to wear masks in public and keep at least 6 feet from people in other households. But McMaster said "maintaining the status quo ignores all of the great progress we've made." His executive order, noting 43% of eligible adults in the state have received at least one dose, also bans local and state governments from requiring proof of vaccination to gain access to certain areas or government services, an idea McMaster said was "un-American to its core." (More South Carolina stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
