It may have been only a formality but it is a sign we’ve come a long way since the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. The state of emergency in South Carolina has expired.

The state of emergency was last extended on May 22, It lapsed Sunday. Most face covering ordinances have dropped since early May. Most venues are serving at full capacity.

The order had been in effect for 451 days, having been first issued on March 13, 2020.
Gov. Henry McMaster announced the end of the state of emergency Monday at a news conference from the state’s emergency operations center in West Columbia.