Mask mandates in school has been a controversial topic in South Carolina and the rest of the country. | Canva
Mask mandates in school has been a controversial topic in South Carolina and the rest of the country. | Canva
More than 1,000 South Carolina doctors, including pediatricians, recently petitioned Gov. Henry McMaster and state lawmakers to lift the ban on mask mandates in public schools, which was put in place during the pandemic as anti-mask sentiment reached new heights.
In a petition letter, the doctors said, “Physicians in South Carolina are standing in solidarity with our colleagues in Florida who have petitioned their state government to end mandates that restrict appropriate healthcare measures.“
Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a temporary law in the state budget that prevents school districts from requiring students and staff to wear masks.
The petition also said, "The most recent data in South Carolina shows the rate of daily cases is over 2,000 over the past week. These are the highest numbers we have seen since February 2021 and it is not reaching a plateau but continuing to increase at an alarming rate.
"With school starting this week and next in South Carolina and the rate of spread of the delta variant among the unvaccinated population, we have every reason to believe the case rate will explode in the coming weeks."
COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise in South Carolina and the rest of the country as the delta variant has officials fearful of hospitals becoming overrun.
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