What you need to know today: S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Tuesday afternoon that would force some local governments to rewrite mask ordinances put in place as COVID-19 safeguards. Many municipalities use a 2020 state of emergency declaration as a condition of the public safety ordinances.

“I will not allow local governments to use the state of emergency declaration as a reason for implementing or maintaining mask mandates,” McMaster said, according to The Post and Courier. The governor pointed to dropping COVID-19 case numbers as a precipitating event that prompted him to urge the restructuring of local ordinances. Tuesday’s case count was among the lowest in almost a year. Source: The Post and Courier

Latest COVID-19 data

South Carolina health officials reported 287 cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday (192 confirmed, 95 probable), with zero confirmed deaths.

With 10,202 tests reported Tuesday, 4.1% were positive.

Source: Department of Health and Environmental Control, Institute for Health Metrics

Confirmed cases in S.C.: 486,090 (+287)
Total positive cases in Charleston County: 43,130 (+10)
Total positive cases in Berkeley County: 17,540 (+7)
Total positive cases in Dorchester County: 17,811 (+6)
Deaths in S.C. from COVID-19: 8,448 (+0)

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