With the rise in COVID-19 cases, Marlboro County Board of Education voted 5-2 on Tuesday to implement a mask mandate in the school district.
Board members Jackie Branch and Danny Driggers voted no while Vice Chairman Michael Coachman, Board Secretary Katherine Manville, James Smith, Reginald Gaymon, and David Flowers voted yes.
Chairman Larry McNeil and Janice Bright were not at the meeting.
The mandate will begin Aug. 23 for anyone inside any of the district’s facilities.
“This is not for the unvaccinated only,” said Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord. “It is for anyone who enters the building.  It is for inside until such a time exists where the COVID-19 goes down.”
Marlboro County has the second lowest vaccination rate in the state.
“Can I tell without a doubt that a mask makes a difference?” he said. “The answer is yes. I based my opinions on the facts.
The school year started Monday with more than 3,300 students. He noted 85-95 percent were wearing masks.
Smith asked if the district had enough masks to provide for students and learned the district had enough masks for up to 30 days.
Manville asked how this would affect funding.
In June, the General Assembly passed a proviso restricting schools from setting mask mandates.
Proviso 1.108 in the 2021-2022 Appropriations Bill prevents any public educational institutions from using appropriated funds to require face coverings.
Several school districts and universities have overruled the proviso.
District officials have been in contact with those at the state level and have been assured that this will not be an issue to concern themselves with.
McCord said the proviso says “may” but does not say “will.” 
He added several districts in the state have mandated masks.
Driggers asked what staff will do if a parent does not allow their student to wear a mask?
“We will handle it in the same way as last school year,” McCord said. “We are not going to make an issue as well as we can. It’s not a student problem. Nine times out of 10, it is going to be an adult problem.”
No students will be suspended or expelled.
Branch asked about staff members not wearing masks.
McCord said he expected staff to be in compliance.
“The goal is not to create any type of discomfort,” he said. “The goal is to create the safest environment possible. No one is going to be fired.”
As of Aug. 18, eight students tested have tested positive with 160 students in quarantine. There have been 12 positive students since Aug. 16.
Two staff members have tested positive with one staff person in quarantine. There have been five positive staff members since Aug. 16.

    Vaccines
From July 1-31, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 26,848 cases among South Carolinians.
Among the 14,262 reported cases where we were able to determine vaccine status, 12,491 (88 percent) of cases were considered not fully vaccinated.
Among the 550 reported cases who were hospitalized with COVID and where we were able to determine vaccine status, 424 (77 percent) were considered not fully vaccinated.
Among the 110 reported deaths from COVID where vaccine status was able to be determined, 87 (79 percent) were considered not fully vaccinated.
Recent data from DHEC vaccination dashboard said only 7,127 of Marlboro County’s eligible population 12 and older were fully vaccinated. 
There are 8,541 people who have at least one vaccination.

 COVID-19 update
In the last week, at least 31 new COVID-19 cases were in Marlboro County. The total confirmed number of COVID-19 cases is 3,777 with 61 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths. 
The total number of cases statewide is at  545,625 with 8,916 confirmed deaths.