The Republican governor, 73, “is experiencing mild symptoms with coughing and mild fatigue,” his office said in a statement Tuesday.
The governor has been in quarantine since his wife, Peggy, tested positive for the virus on Friday. According to her husband’s office, the first lady remains asymptomatic.
He will receive monoclonal antibody treatment Tuesday, his office said, and will isolate and continue to work from the governor’s residence for the next 10 days.
The McMasters were guests at a Christmas party at the White House in Washington last week. The governor’s office said the couple had tested negative for Covid-19 prior to attending the festivities.
In light of Peggy McMaster’s positive test, Brian Symmes, a spokesman for the governor, told the Columbia state newspaper that the two “wore face masks when needed and when social distance was not possible” at the party.
In a statement Tuesday, McMaster called on “everyone to be extra careful during the Christmas holidays.” At a press conference prior to the holiday, he had asked residents to be “smart,” encouraging small gatherings, space tables, or outside family gatherings.
McMaster is the last US Governor to test positive for Covid-19 after Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt have also signed it, and South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette also fell ill with the virus back in September.
The US is dealing with increased cases and hospitalizations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions are begging Americans to avoid travel during the holiday season. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there have been 275,733 cases of Covid-19 and 4,962 deaths in South Carolina since the start of the pandemic.
This story has been updated with additional details and background information.