Gov. McMaster lifts ‘home or work’ order, other coronavirus restrictions in SC
Gov. Henry McMaster has made his “home or work” executive order voluntary, starting Monday.
The announcement came Friday as McMaster looks to reopen the state’s economy, which has slowed down amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
McMaster also announced that restaurants, which have been prohibited from providing dine-in services since March 17, will be able to start serving customers outdoors starting May 4, guidelines first suggested by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association.
He also lifted previous orders requiring visitors from coronavirus hot spots — like New York and Connecticut — to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering the state and mandating that short-term rental companies deny reservations to such visitors. Those orders will no longer be in effect immediately, McMaster said.
“I’m very proud of the way that our people have responded to this emergency, to this contagion,” said McMaster after announcing the moves. “Our state has done very well ... and we can depend on the common sense and the integrity, and the family nature of the people of South Carolina to do what we think is necessary. So we will be making those decisions as soon as we can, as quickly as we can, as we accelerate back, get our economy accelerating, where we all want to be and where we were before this contagion got here.”
The governor’s issued a “home or work” order that went into effect on April 7. Under the order, people were still permitted to travel to work, to visit family and obtain essential goods or services, but the spirit of the order was for people to limit their movements throughout the state to slow the spread of the virus.
On Friday, McMaster said that while the state was lifting restrictions, those safety measures are still recommended. He also urged residents to continue to follow other safety recommendations, such as hand washing, wearing face coverings in public and being mindful of touching their face.
“Mother’s Day is coming up. Your mama told you to wash your hands, and cover your nose and mouth if you cough,” McMaster said. “As long as we do those simple things and use common sense we ought to be just fine.”
The relaxation of the stay-at-home order comes as the governor and the Department of Health and Environmental Control believe COVID-19 cases have plateaued in the state.
State epidemiologist Linda Bell announced 160 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 12 deaths on Friday, bringing the state’s total to 6,258 cases and 256 deaths. In just the last week, the case count climbed by almost 1,200 — or 23.4% — and the death toll has risen by 99 — or by 63%, according to DHEC data. The department discovered at least 29 of those deaths were previous deaths that were unaccounted for.
Bell said that the curve of new cases announced each day is “beginning to level.”
“I know that many are waiting for a time that we can fully loosen all restrictions, and so am I,” Bell said. “And there’s really no set time that I can give, or a date that is a magic number at which time, we can give that full loosening of restrictions. Public health data and other factors will help drive these decisions that are very difficult.”
In addition to the rate of infections, McMaster said his decision to make the stay-at-home order voluntary was driven by metrics that, he says, shows South Carolinians were staying home and complying with social distancing protocols, citing declining traffic numbers from the Department of Public Safety. He also pointed to widespread public knowledge about the virus and safety measures, saying the state has “crossed that threshold” of people taking the threat of the pandemic seriously.
To further combat the spread of the virus, McMaster and Bell announced Friday that the state planned to increase testing and had expanded its contact tracing program. Previously, DHEC had about 20 workers to perform contact tracing, which involves determining who had close contact with an infected individual and having that person tested or isolated to prevent further spread. Now, McMaster says there are more than 200 workers who can do that work, and he hopes to add even more.
A robust contact tracing program is considered by health experts to be a a key step in safely easing quarantines and broader restrictions.
Prior to Friday’s announcement, McMaster had already allowed some retail businesses to reopen in recent weeks, but under reduced capacities. Public boat docks and beaches also were allowed to reopen April 21, and state parks reopened Friday on a limited basis. McMaster has an order in place allow law enforcement to break up groups of three or more, in order to enforce social distancing.
Some lawmakers have urged McMaster to open up the economy more aggressively, allowing businesses like salons and gyms to re-open. Others have warned of a wave in new cases if restrictions are lifted too quickly before cases of the virus decline or are contained.
McMaster said it’s impossible to please everyone concerned about the virus, but assured citizens that his decisions announced Friday were based on data and science provided by business and health professionals.
“We have a lot of people who say we’re going too fast, and others say we’re going too slow, and I think we’re doing it just right,” McMaster said.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
