COLOMBIA, SC (WMBF) – South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced on Friday that masks would no longer be mandatory in government buildings.
The governor’s executive order rescinded mandatory facial coverage on state government offices, buildings and facilities. In addition, McMaster’s guideline begins the process of facilitating the return of remaining state employees back to the workplace full-time, a press release said.
“Now that the majority of Southern Carolinians are eligible to receive the vaccine, and infections and hospitalizations have dropped significantly, heads of state agencies can safely bring back the last group of state employees who work remotely,” said McMaster.
In addition, the executive order recommends face masks that were previously mandatory in restaurants.
The announcement came about an hour after McMaster indicated that the state’s few remaining COVID-19 restrictions would soon be a thing of the past.
While visiting the mass vaccine clinic COVID-19 in Darlington Raceway on Friday, McMaster was asked whether the few remaining restrictions are going away.
“They will be leaving soon,” said the governor.
When asked when this could happen, McMaster replied, “maybe this afternoon”, eliciting laughter from the other speakers at the event.
“We only have a few things left and I was working on an executive order on the way here,” said McMaster. “We don’t need this anymore. We are working with all of this. “
Last Friday, McMaster announced that the state’s “Last Call” order was being canceled. Restaurants and bars started serving alcoholic drinks after 11pm on March 1st.
In addition, the governor said that approval from the SC Department of Commerce for events involving more than 250 people would no longer be required.
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