Coronavirus latest: York County adds nearly 60 cases as leaders call for mask mandate
York County added nearly 60 new coronavirus cases Monday and Lancaster County reported its second highest daily number of cases to date, pushing officials in both counties to call for a requirement that people wear face masks in public.
Cases in York County continue to spike, and over the weekend, the county recorded more than 100 cases, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. York County added 59 new cases Monday that marked the highest daily number of cases ever reported in the pandemic.
And county officials are growing more concerned.
In April, York County reported daily cases in the single digits, according to official state numbers. The county now has had a total of 1,155 cases.
Across the state, DHEC identified 1,320 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, pushing the overall total of infections to 34,546.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said at a press conference Friday that enforcing a statewide rule requiring South Carolinians to wear a mask would be “impossible,” but he was approving of city leaders adopting their own rules. The governor also still urged residents to wear face masks and practice social distancing.
“If the city wants to do something that is specifically tailored to them, they have the authority to that, but they must be careful to be legal and don’t go into an unconstitutional area,” McMaster said. “These mandates in the end are unenforceable…We don’t have the enforcement mechanism of this nature to cover the entire state.”
Last week, South Carolina’s Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a statement saying that cities and counties have the authority under Home Rule to require residents to wear face masks while out in public.
York County Councilman William “Bump” Roddey, who was the first local political leader to push for a mask requirement countywide, said Monday that the mere recommendation by county leaders to wear a mask is not enough.
“We had record cases over the weekend and another record Monday with 59 cases in a single day,” Roddey said. “I am troubled that our council chairman has not called a special meeting where we can discuss a mask requirement during this COVID-19 pandemic. We owe it to the citizens so that everyone knows where each council member stands on this issue.”
So far, no other York County Council members have publicly called for a mask requirement.
Roddey said a county requirement, coupled with similar actions by the cities and towns in York County, would protect the public and provide an even playing field for businesses.
That way, businesses and retailers would all operate under the same rules of requiring masks, Roddey said.
Call for mask mandate in Rock Hill
Rock Hill City Council member Nikita Jackson has taken the lead in calling for a mask mandate in the city.
She said Monday she has received feedback both for and against a mask requirement in the city after she spoke out Sunday in The Herald in favor of a citywide mask requirement.
But most of the feedback she’s received has been in favor of a requirement, Jackson said.
“I have had people text, email, call, and reach out to me saying that they want to help push a requirement that would keep all residents of the city safe,” Jackson said. “The number of cases on Rock Hill and York County has gone up so high that it is really alarming.”
Jackson said the data from DHEC show that cases are spiking.
“The numbers don’t lie,” Jackson said. “The data shows we have more cases in Rock Hill now. That’s concerning to me and should be concerning to our council and community.”
Jackson said she hopes York County, and the municipalities of York, Tega Cay, Clover, and Fort Mill also consider a mask requirement. Under state law, each county or municipality would have to enact a separate ordinance requiring masks, Jackson said.
“This is a countywide issue and a city issue at the same time,” Jackson said. “We are talking about the health and safety of our residents.”
The Rock Hill City Council does not have a scheduled meeting until August. If the council were to take up a debate on requiring masks, Mayor John Gettys would have to call a special meeting.
Gettys told The Herald last week that he is in favor of requiring masks in public places as the pandemic continues and area cases continue to rise.
Will Lancaster, Chester require masks?
Lancaster City Council has a special called meeting at 7 p.m. June 30 to discuss mandated face coverings.
The only new item on the agenda is a resolution “strongly encouraging all residents to perform their patriotic duty by wearing face coverings in public and to urge the governor of the State of South Carolina to take the appropriate actions in mandating face coverings.”
The recommendation would apply to indoor places such as business, vehicles where someone from another household is riding, and heavily trafficked outdoor areas. It asks businesses to post signs asking customers to wear masks upon entering.
The ordinance notes people in Lancaster can use bandanas, scarves, repurposed clothing, cloth masks or even folded paper towels. It discourages the purchase of N95 masks as those are needed for healthcare workers.
Lancaster County Administrator Steve Willis, who is in favor of a mask requirement, said Monday afternoon none of the Lancaster County Council members have asked for a mask requirement or pushed to have an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.
Lancaster County added 26 new cases Monday, for a total of 437 cases, according to DHEC. The highest number of cases reported to date in the county is 27, which the county reported for the second time on Thursday.
Chester City Council also has called a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday to discuss an emergency ordinance that will require residents wear masks in public, according to the meeting agenda. The meeting will be held on Zoom.
Chester County reported two new cases and now has had 172 cases confirmed since the pandemic started, DHEC said.
COVID-19 deaths
On Saturday, DHEC reported that a middle-age individual from Lancaster County died as a result of the virus.
Based on DHEC’s count, the county has had 11 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths. Lancaster County Coroner Karla Knight Deese announced last week that her office has confirmed 12 coronavirus-related deaths in the county.
With the addition of four new deaths related to the virus reported across the state Monday, the state’s death toll is now at 717.
On Sunday, 8,191 tests were conducted statewide, with 15.5% having positive results, DHEC reported. Since March, labs across the state have completed 408,394 tests.
Hospitals across the state are at about 70% of capacity. Of the 7,336 beds in use across the state on Monday, DHEC officials said 1,032 were occupied by coronavirus patients or those who are suspected of having COVID-19.
Hospitals in York County are at 79% capacity and Lancaster County hospitals are at about 42% capacity, according to DHEC.
Cases by ZIP code
As of Sunday night, there are cases in the following ZIP codes:
York County
- 29704 - 13
- 29708 - 148
- 29710 - 148
- 29715 - 143
- 29717 - 5
- 29730 - 266
- 29732 - 279
- 29745 - 118
Lancaster County
- 29058 - 14
- 29067 - 42
- 29707 - 78
- 29720 - 324
Chester County
- 29014 - 16
- 29055 - 47
- 29706 - 70
- 29712 - 11
- 29714 - 22
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 5:25 PM.
