SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Staff and inmates at South Dakota prisons are no longer required to wear masks following an order from Gov. Kristi Noem lifting the requirement.
The Republican governor’s move comes as virus cases have seen a recent uptick.
It defies a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that masks still be worn in facilities like prisons.
Among neighboring states, South Dakota is the only one to lift a mask requirement in prisons.
The Argus Leader reports Noem’s move was spurred by a meeting she had with employees at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.