COLUMBIA, S.C. — Restaurants are responding to Gov. McMaster's new order relaxing mask mandates.
Friday the governor issued a new executive order modifying existing emergency orders related to COVID19.
Part of the order rescinds previously mandated masks in restaurants, among other establishments as well.
“We’re probably going to stay where we are and I want everyone to have their own comfort level with this situation," Bistro on the Boulevard general manager Steve Price says. He goes on to say things have been working for them as far as keeping his employees masked up and sanitizing as much as possible, “I want my customers to know and feel like we are doing what we can to protect them… as far as what our responsibility is.”
While the governor has eased masked restrictions for restaurants, city’s and towns across the Midlands still have ordinances mandating their use.
“We had already decided, until things start looking better number-wise of people getting sick – we’ll continue to wear the mask. Until there’s a significant change," says Lisa Wehunt, general manager of Libby's of Lexington.
The town of Lexington recently dropped their mask ordinance, but Libby’s of Lexington is going to keep encouraging their use.
“We don’t personally plan on changing anything. We are still requiring our staff to wear all the masks. We are requesting that customers still wear masks, but we’re going to let customers use their discretion. But, we’re going to keep all of our signs up about wearing masks in hopes that people continue to follow those guidelines.”
“We’re going to stay where we’re at for the time being until I have clarity from the town of Irmo," says Rocco Bellino, co-owner of Hemingway's Music Pub in Irmo. The town of Irmo’s mask mandate is still in effect so Hemingway’s is going to continue to require masks as well.
“We’re for the easing of the rules," says Hite's BBQ owner David Hite, "We think everything is ready to go back to normal or as normal as we can possibly get it anyway.”
Although West Columbia still has a mask ordinance in place that was recently extended through May, David Hite of Hite’s BBQ is ready for it all to be over.
“Everyone we’ve talked to and us as well, are ready to get this behind us and push forward," says Hite.
“We sell cheeseburgers and beer and fish- we’re not health professionals," Price adds, "we have to go by what they tell us. And as long as everyone feels comfortable coming in here, I’m going to keep doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
The order from the governor rescinds mandatory mask rules for state buildings- all of which he attributes to South Carolinians getting the vaccine and numbers dropping significantly.