SC expert says state mask rule needed as COVID-19 spreads

COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — As COVID-19 cases continue to spike in South Carolina, more cities are passing their own rules requiring masks.

Clemson and Charleston are joining Greenville and Columbia in requiring everyone to wear masks in grocery stores and pharmacies. And the state’s chief expert on infectious diseases said it might be time for a mask rule across South Carolina, something Gov. Henry McMaster has resisted.

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State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said COVID-19 appears to be spreading too fast to wait for cities and counties to pass their own rules on face coverings.

For five of the past seven days, South Carolina has reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases.