McMaster’s office says mask mandate ‘entirely unenforceable’

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - With COVID-19 cases rising in the state and COVID’s Delta variant beginning to emerge, Governor Henry McMaster thinks there is little public policy will impact.

Governor McMaster’s Communication Director Brian Symmes said “Governor McMaster never ordered a statewide mask mandate at the height of the pandemic and he’s certainly not going to now.”

Symmes highlighted the that he thinks the population of South Carolina simply wouldn’t listen, even if the governor put a mandate in place.

“Aside from the fact that a statewide mandate is entirely unenforceable, South Carolinians have been learning about this virus for over a year and a half now – they know what they need to be safe and certainly don’t need government officials restricting them in any way,” Symmes said.

While newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hovering around 200 to 300 per day back in May, recent totals released from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control show 1,212 of COVID-19 diagnosed Friday.