McMaster order bans vaccine passports, school mask mandates
(The Center Square) – South Carolinians will have a lot more choices on how they handle the COVID-19 pandemic after Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order that prevents vaccine passports and mask mandates in government buildings and schools.
Parents of South Carolina schoolchildren will be allowed to sign a waiver allowing their children to not wear masks moving forward, according to Executive Order 2021-23.
“We have known for months that our schools are some of the safest places when it comes to COVID-19,” McMaster said. “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. Whether a child wears a mask in school is a decision that should be left only to a student’s parents.”
McMaster’s executive order cited data and vaccine accessibility as a large reason for the changes. It said that 43% of eligible South Carolinians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 3.1 million doses have been administered and a Medical University of South Carolina study said about 60% of South Carolina residents are now “immune” to COVID-19.
The order states local governments will not be allowed to use previous emergency orders as a reason to require masks.
“With the COVID-19 vaccine readily available and case numbers dropping, I will not allow local governments to use the state of emergency declaration as a reason for implementing or maintaining mask mandates,” McMaster said. “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. Maintaining the status quo ignores all of the great progress we’ve made.”
Vaccinations also will be defined as private health information, meaning the public will not be required to divulge their vaccination status, and vaccine passports will not be allowed to be required.
“Vaccine passports will have no place in South Carolina,” McMaster said. “The very idea is un-American to its core.”
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control will work with the South Carolina Department of Education to create a standard form to allow parents to opt their children out of mask mandates.
Some Democratic state lawmakers don’t believe McMaster has the authority to dictate school district mask rules.
“[Charleston County School District] and all [South Carolina] School districts have the authority under the laws of this state to regulate conduct [and] behavior in their schools, see code section 59-19-90(3), and the governor has no legal authority to suspend laws in [South Carolina],” tweeted Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, who is a litigator with his own law firm.
“I agree with [Stavrinakis]. As a Senator that represents Charleston County, I am encouraging [Charleston County School District] to stay the course and keep the mandatory mask policy in place for the health and safety of our children, faculty and staff,” tweeted Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, who is also a lawyer.
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