What you can and can’t do under South Carolina’s ‘stay home’ order
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, South Carolinians only have two main legal options: go to work, or stay home.
There are many other exceptions to the order issued by Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday requiring residents to limit their movements in response to the spread of coronavirus.
But it’s a big step for the Palmetto State, bringing it in line with 41 other states that have ordered residents to stay home. The order also comes after several of the state’s bigger cities, Columbia, Charleston and Mount Pleasant, had already issued local stay-home orders that were questioned because of the lack of a statewide order.
These are some of the questions readers of The State have about McMaster’s order.
Can I travel to Tennessee to visit a friend, if I stay at her house?
The governor’s order doesn’t stop travel between South Carolina and other states. The interstates are still open. The only exception is visitors from the heavily affected communities such as the “tri-state” area of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Visitors from those states are currently barred from short-term rentals such as hotels, and McMaster previously asked that out-of-state visitors quarantine themselves for up to 14 days, if they stick around that long.
That said, officials are discouraging purely social visits right now. But you can assist others who need help meeting their basic needs, like bringing them food, medicine or other assistance.
I work for a company in North Carolina. Can my company come down to South Carolina to fix equipment?
See above. You can still travel between South Carolina and other states, but if you’re doing it for work purposes, you will want to check if your business is considered an essential service or not.
With the at home order, will law enforcement be allowed to arbitrarily stop people and ask them where they are going?
“It’s not possible for officers to pull over every car on the road and ask them where they are going,” said Tommy Crosby with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division.
Instead, the guidance SLED has given state law enforcement agencies is to look for activities that violate the governor’s order, and then use their discretion to tell members of the public to go home.
Under the stay at home order, may a person who has a primary home and a secondary home travel between the two without breaking the law?
Yes, although the official advice is to stay wherever you end up and limit your movements and social interactions accordingly. If you don’t have a strong reason to move around, don’t.
Can we go on the lake in our boat from our private boat dock?
Yes. The governor’s order last week closing public access to beaches and waterways also allowed for private property owners to be able to continue to access them. But once you’re on the water, you better keep moving. The only allowable reason to stop your boat is to fish.
Is there a mandating order on the number of people who can attend a wedding?
Yes. Gatherings of three or more people are currently prohibited.
When can you leave your home?
▪ To buy groceries, although pick-up or delivery options should be preferred to in-store shopping.
▪ To go to the doctor’s office, hospital or pick up medical supplies.
▪ To order or pick up food. Restaurants are still operating take-out services, and offering delivery.
▪ Pick up school work and school-provided meals at district sites.
▪ To care for or visit family.
▪ Getting whatever you might need to work from home.
▪ Maintain the “safety and sanitation” of your home.
▪ Go outdoors. Running, walking, biking, etc., are still allowed, but you should either do it solo or maintain social distancing of six feet or more with anyone you do an activity with.
▪ Walk the dog. Pet care is also allowed by the governor’s order.
▪ Go to worship services. Many churches have already suspended regular services due to the pandemic, but religious activity is explicitly allowed in the governor’s order.
▪ Traveling “required by law,” such as court appointments or child custody transfers.
▪ Operate a retail business that will allow for curbside pickup or delivery, or otherwise enforce “social distancing” between customers.
▪ Commercial transportation, such as deliveries of food, medicine, gas, livestock, produce or timber. Airline employees are also covered by this exception.
▪ Work in any military, health care, public safety or emergency response field.
▪ To sell or transport firearms or ammunition.
What you can’t do
Work in any non-essential business, including:
▪ Night clubs
▪ Bowling alleys
▪ Arcades
▪ Concert Venues
▪ Bingo halls
▪ Social clubs
▪ Theaters
▪ Museums
▪ Adult entertainment venues
▪ Racetracks
▪ Auditoriums
▪ Tourist attractions
▪ Aquariums
▪ Indoor children play areas
▪ Performing arts
▪ Fitness and exercise centers
▪ Spas and pools
▪ Sports that Involve interaction and proximity
▪ Group exercise facilities
▪ Commercial gyms
▪ Activities that require shared sporting apparatus and equipment
▪ Spectator sports
▪ Yoga, barre, and spin studios
▪ Activities on commercial or public playground equipment
▪ Barber shops
▪ Hair salons
▪ Nail salons
▪ Threading salons
▪ Waxing salons
▪ Tattoo services
▪ Tanning salons
▪ Spas
▪ Body-art facilities
▪ Massage services
▪ Furniture and home furnishings
▪ Jewelry stores
▪ Clothing, shoe, and clothing-accessory stores
▪ Department stores, with the exception of hardware and home-improvement stores
▪ Florists
▪ Leather goods stores and luggage stores
▪ Sporting goods stores
▪ Flea markets
▪ Book, craft, and music stores
What happens if I violate the “home or work” order?
Even if you’re unlikely to get arrested for violating the order, it is still a misdemeanor carrying a $100 maximum fine and up to 30 days in jail. So keep that in mind when planning your next trip.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 8:57 AM.
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