Schools Caught in the Middle Between Governor, DHEC

Observer Reports

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is supporting the Centers for Disease Control recommendation concerning the wearing of masks in public areas indoors, regardless of vaccination status. This includes masking for teachers, students, parents and visitors in K-12 schools due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and the increasing threat of the Delta variant.

Anderson County posted 32 new cases of the virus on Monday, 22 confirmed and 10 suspected cases.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster posted a pair of tweets in response to the latest DHEC recommendation.

According to the CDC, a rise in breakthrough cases where fully vaccinated individuals test positive for COVID-19 is being fueled due to the rise of the Delta variant.

The updated CDC recommendations include:

• In areas with substantial and high transmission, CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent spread of Delta and protect others.

• CDC recommends that community leaders encourage vaccination and masking to prevent further outbreaks in areas of substantial and high transmission.

• CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.  In accordance with the previous CDC order, students are required to wear masks on school buses.

DHEC's latest recommendations are for South Carolina to follow same protocols, but lacks the authority to mandate such regulations since state law currently prohibits the requirements of mask mandates in schools or on buses.  

The move has left local school districts in a difficult position and without many good options. If a school district excercized local autonomy and required masks on buses, in the classroom or both, it would jeopardize state funding due to McMaster's edict.

Vaccinations remain a priorty among health leaders in the state, which ranks 40th nationally in vaccinations. Anderson County has one of the lowest rates of citizens receiving both vaccinations in the state.

In the last 60 days more than 93 percent of the verified COVID-19 cases and deaths have been among unvaccinated individuals. During that same period close to 90 percent of hospitializations were among those not vaccinated. Free vaccinations are stil available statewide. Find a location here.