Columbia Standard

As COVID-19 patients continue to fill ICU units in the state amid the delta variant surge, some South Carolina schools and government officials have questioned Gov. Henry McMaster's ban on mask mandates, and in some cases, even attempted to resist them.

The State reports that as of Aug. 21, 497 patients were in the ICU in the state due to the coronavirus.

An example of the opposition according to a Washington Examiner report posted on MSN.com, to the mandate derived from the Columbia City Council, which recently voted in favor of requiring masks for staff and students in public schools for the upcoming school year.

On the contrary, the University of South Carolina revoked its indoor mask mandate Tuesday, after Attorney General Alan Wilson expressed an opinion to Harris Pastides, the institution's interim president, stating the order violates the budget amendment, according to a Washington Examiner report posted on MSN.com.

In the same Washington Examiner report, Brian Symmes, spokesman for Gov. McMaster's office, made a statement going against an amendment attached to the state budget banning K-12 public schools from imposing mask and vaccine mandates on students, faculty and staff. 

“State law prohibits mask mandates in public schools, and the city’s ordinance would require teachers and administrators to violate state law,” Symmes told the Washington Examiner.

"We have known for months that our schools are some of the safest places when it comes to COVID-19," McMaster said in a NPR report. "With every adult in our state having the opportunity to receive a vaccine, it goes against all logic to continue to force our children – especially our youngest children – to wear masks against their parents' wishes."

According to NPR, McMaster reasserted his opposition to the consideration of requiring children to wear masks during class time.

"Everybody knows what we need to do to stay safe – including wearing a mask if you're at risk of exposing others – but we must move past the time of governments dictating when and where South Carolinians are required to wear a mask," McMaster told NPR. "Maintaining the status quo ignores all of the great progress we've made."