Staff reports | Gov. Henry McMaster’s office said Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The news came four days after First Lady Peggy McMaster tested positive for the virus.
The governor learned of his test results late Monday and was experiencing “mild symptoms with a cough and slight fatigue,” while the first lady was asymptomatic, according to a Tuesday press release. As of Dec. 24 at 2 p.m., the governor’s office had not issued any updates on their conditions.
The couple is isolating at home as Christmas approaches and remain in good spirits, the Tuesday press release stated. Governor’s residence employees have also been sent home to quarantine and get tested.
“Peggy and I urge everyone to be extra careful during the Christmas holiday season,” McMaster is quoted as saying. “This virus spreads very easily.”
State health officials believe “there is no way to pinpoint precisely when or how Gov. McMaster or the first lady contracted the virus,” the governor’s office said.
McMaster, often seen not wearing a mask in public, has resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate to thwart the spread of the coronavirus.
As of Thursday afternoon, state officials reported 2,260 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 263,392 cases since march. There were 11 new confirmed deaths for a total of 4,662 South Carolinians who have died from the disease this year. The percentage of people testing positive is 22.1 percent. More.
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State lawmakers to wear masks in session. State lawmakers will need to wear masks and get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to Columbia Jan. 12, according to a new agreement. The State newspaper reported.
Newton named to GOP leadership. Four years after becoming the youngest member of the S.C. House, Rep. Brandon Newton of Lancaster has taken his first step up the leadership ladder with an appointment to assistant majority whip for the House GOP Caucus, the Lancaster News reported.
Nurses critical on Graham’s vaccine. Kelly Bouthillet, the president of the South Carolina Nurses Association, called U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s inoculation a “slap in the face” to nurses and other medical professionals still waiting to get their shots, The Washington Post reported.
Cunningham gives last floor speech. U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, cracked open a cold one during his farewell speech to the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. In a final speech urging bipartisanship, Cunningham raised a beer as his parting shot in Congress. Read more.
Gas prices lower. South Carolina has gas prices 30 cents lower than last Christmas, but there may not be more people on the road as the pandemic has eaten into holiday travel. Meanwhile, experts warn against Christmas travel.
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