Gov. Noem says South Dakota will not have a mask mandate following CDC reversal

Gov. Kristi Noem says South Dakota will not have a mask mandate, following the CDC’s announcement Tuesday urging vaccinated and unvaccinated people to wear masks in indoor areas as the delta variant of COVID-19 surges across the nation.

“The CDC shifts their position AGAIN,” Noem tweeted late Tuesday afternoon. “South Dakota’s cases remain low. If you’re worried about the virus, you’re free to get vaccinated, wear a mask, or stay at home. But we won’t be mandating anything. And the CDC’s inconsistency doesn’t help the American people.”

The CDC issued new guidance that fully vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in high transmission areas as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. The CDC has also advised that children in schools wear masks this fall. 

“Information on the delta variant from several states and other countries indicates that in rare occasions some vaccinated people infected with the delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others,'' CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday.

Noem’s announcement comes on the heels of the state’s decision Saturday to lift the mask mandate within South Dakota prisons for both staff and those incarcerated.

More:If Joe Biden enacts mask mandates, lockdowns, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem won't enforce them

Since the start of the pandemic in South Dakota, Noem hasn’t enacted a state-wide mask mandate. 

Instead, Noem placed the responsibility on the state’s residents.

“She has provided her citizens with the full scope of the science and trusted them to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved-ones," Ian Fury, communications specialist for the governor, told the Argus Leader in November.

But towns across South Dakota did issue mask mandates, including Sioux Falls, while school districts varied their decisions to require them.

The Sioux Falls mask mandate was lifted in March.

A mask mandate bill was introduced in the state Senate (Senate Bill 125) by Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba, but was rapidly killed. 

More:South Dakota lawmakers aim to kill cities' ability to order mask mandates, business restrictions