‘Do something’: South Carolina, Myrtle Beach area leaders slow to react to COVID-19 surge
As coronavirus cases continue to rise significantly in South Carolina, one Surfside Beach official suggested the area do “nothing” to combat the health crisis and preserve the safety of both residents and tourists.
Surfside Beach, which neighbors popular tourist destination Myrtle Beach, is part of Horry County, which has seen cases of COVID-19 surge since the start of June. The uptick in cases resulted in S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control labeling the area a coronavirus hot spot.
Over 2,000 of Horry County’s 2,495 confirmed cases have been diagnosed since June 1.
“I say nothing,” Surfside Beach Councilwoman Cindy Keating said during a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night. “I think by now we’ve probably all been exposed to it one way or another, and we take our own personal accountability and take that into consideration.”
Since the virus spread to Horry County in mid-March, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, county and local officials have continuously recommended residents and tourists take precautions to ensure their health and wellness. Those recommendations include wearing a face mask, keeping a six-foot distance and maintaining good hygiene.
Currently, in the Myrtle Beach area, where tourism has been in full swing since May 15, about 5 to 10 percent of residents and tourists practice those health guidelines. Local officials only encourage face masks be worn.
While no ordinances have been passed at the state, county or city level mandating the use of masks or coverings so far, some South Carolina cities are taking matters into their own hands.
As Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach mayors consider implementing laws, Greenville and Columbia this week have passed emergency ordinances requiring people wear face masks in public places and in some businesses.
In both cities, violating the ordinance carries a $25 fine.
Over in Hilton Head, another major tourist destination, Town Manager Steve Riley said officials have no authority to do anything more than issue recommendations on health procedures. On Wednesday, South Carolina’s attorney general Alan Wilson said that cities can require residents to wear face masks while out in public.
As of Thursday afternoon, South Carolina has 28,962 COVID-19 cases and 691 deaths.
Horry County
Following a roughly two-month shutdown caused by the virus, Myrtle Beach’s tourism season returned in full swing on May 15 with tourists filling up the beach along with streets of Ocean Boulevard. While city officials anticipated a 30 percent occupancy rate that first weekend, hotels and accommodations reported the area reached 100 percent capacity.
The full capacity rate remained the following weekend as thousands funneled into the city for the Memorial Day holiday.
Despite the area reopening to tourism, the city implemented certain guidelines for hotels to follow but only recommendations were made for both visitors and residents Though, Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune did issue concern with the city’s hotels reopening as the area lacked testing resources.
“I’ve been very conflicted over this and I am personally opposed to hotels opening at this time, however I understand that legally we cannot keep them from opening,” Bethune said during a special City Council meeting on April 30. “The reasons why I’m opposed to it are because we do not have enough tests in this area for our residents, let alone our visitors, and we don’t know when we will have enough tests available.”
Bethune added further opposition stating reopening would allow people from hot spot areas, at the time the New York-metro area, to enter the city, despite an order issued by McMaster requiring visitors from those areas to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Prior to the area hosting its first testing event on May 30, Horry County had recorded 426 coronavirus cases since the first case was reported on March 15. Since May 31, Horry County has seen 2,079 COVID-19 cases, as of Thursday.
Despite the rise, most Horry County towns and cities have resumed in-person meetings while lifting a slew of restrictions. However, several area restaurants have also shuttered due to employees testing positive for coronavirus.
Furthermore, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have had several employees in quarantine due to exposure to the virus. Back in April, Myrtle Beach was forced to quarantine about 10 percent of the city’s workforce due to exposure to the coronavirus.
As of June 24, Myrtle Beach has 43 employees in quarantine, with seven of those testing positive, City Spokesperson Mark Kruea said. In North Myrtle Beach, 16 are out on quarantine with various return dates, City Spokesperson Pat Dowling said, noting that five employees have tested positive for the virus since its inception in March.
Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy and her husband also tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago.
However, no action has followed as county, city and state officials continue to urge social distancing and those to wear face masks. On June 8, DHEC designated Horry County a coronavirus hot spot.
Bethune reacted to the designation by alluding the spike in cases could be tied to the influx of tourists who she said aren’t following proper health guidelines. She said the city was monitoring the situation but didn’t know what kind of action could be taken locally to flatten the curve of the coronavirus.
“We have more and more people coming here and people are falsely under the assumption there is not a virus any longer,” Bethune told The Sun News on June 9. “We’re still in a pandemic, but people aren’t following the guidelines.”
Despite the accusation, only a handful of Myrtle Beach employees and elected officials had been observed sporting face masks at city events and during City Council meetings at the time of Bethune’s comment. Those included City Manager John Pedersen, Police Chief Amy Prock, Chief Financial Officer Mike Shelton, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Karen Riordan and Councilman Gregg Smith.
Smith previously said he believes many have lost focus of the pandemic as time has gone on, stressing how important it is to continue social distancing and wearing face masks. He noted that he is concerned with people not wearing protective gear, adding that he wears his everywhere except his home.
“My thought is it might keep me a little bit from getting sick. Also, if I am sick it will keep other people from getting sick,” Smith said. “I think it’s the considerate thing to do.”
As of Tuesday’s city council meeting, John Krajc, Mike Lowder and Jackie Hatley were the only council members in attendance associated with the city who opted not to wear face coverings. Temperatures are also taken for those entering council chambers. Those who exceed a 100 degree temperature will be turned away, Kruea said.
With the rise in cases, two South Carolina cities — Greenville and Columbia — have chosen to enforce ordinances requiring masks be worn — a step McMaster hasn’t taken, despite expressing dismay with the recent case boom and dismissing health officials recommendations.
On Monday, only hours before Greenville City Council met to take a vote on their ordinance, Bethune confirmed that while city leaders had not discussed any official measures, she had spoken with city attorney William Bryan about the possibility of enforcing their own law requiring people to wear face masks.
“Council has not yet discussed such a mandate,” Bethune said Monday. “I did ask our attorney for his opinion on the matter, and he feels that if we choose to issue such an order, we certainly can.”
As of Thursday, no action has been taken despite Bethune acknowledging she expected cases to rise when tourism did. Currently, several counties in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky are reporting more than 75 coronavirus cases in residents after trips to Myrtle Beach.
Over in North Myrtle Beach, Dowling said Mayor Marilyn Hatley has asked the city attorney to research whether or not a city in South Carolina may legally adopt such a mandate. When he is finished with his research, he will share his opinion with City Council, Dowling said.
North Myrtle Beach leaders held their first in-person meeting on June 8 after hosting months’ worth of teleconference forums via YouTube. Hatley has encouraged the use of face coverings despite elected leaders and city employees going mask-less at recent meetings.
In Surfside Beach, Mayor Bob Hellyer acknowledged the concerning rise in cases during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting — a forum where officials and employees haven’t worn masks and have remained in close proximity since in-person meetings resumed last month.
He questioned officials on what could be done to preserve the safety of both residents, visitors and employees. While Keating suggested nothing be done and Hellyer said no measures would be implemented to require the use of face masks, it was later decided Town Administrator Dennis Pieper would be left to make any further decisions on the matter.
Councilwoman Debbie Scoles however said Tuesday’s meeting would be her last, stating she would be attending council meetings via teleconference for the foreseeable future.
“I’m not even comfortable meeting in here,” Scoles told council members. “I take it very seriously, this is the only place I come into without a mask on. And I’m not willing to jeopardize my family’s health … this was going to be my last night coming in here.”
Horry County Council, like North Myrtle Beach, put barriers between council members in the chambers. Seating capacity was reduced in the chambers and in the council’s conference room.
When you enter the county courthouse, you are now required to wear a mask. If you don’t bring one, sheriff’s deputies sitting at the front desk will provide one.
The council last met on June 16 days after the county was labeled a hot spot for the virus. Still, to date, Horry County Council has not formally considered a mask mandate in the unincorporated areas.
But across Horry County, residents and leaders are having the conversation.
Last week, Chair Johnny Gardner practiced social distancing and wearing a mask because he believes it helps the community. He didn’t specifically say mandating masks is a good idea or not, but said everyone needs to do their part.
“You have to assume your own responsibility,” Gardner said. “It’s just common sense.”
Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island’s roaring return of tourism has come with few restrictions on life for residents or the thousands of visitors that cram the island’s bridge each weekend.
In the two weeks leading up to June 8, Beaufort County was reporting single-digit numbers of new cases each day. There were just 101 cases in two weeks between Memorial Day and June 8.
In the two weeks since June 8, the county has reported 450 new cases.
The massive increase has come with the county’s highest new case report since the pandemic began — 60 people tested positive on June 20. But new regulations have not accompanied the new sky-high numbers for a county with around 200,000 people.
A handful of Hilton Head area restaurants, including Captain Woody’s, Tio’s Latin American Kitchen and Main Street Cafe and Pub, have announced they are closing temporarily to respond to employees with the virus and to avoid coming into contact with out-of-town visitors.
Still, other restaurants have reported record weekends and hour-long lines for patrons characteristic of any other start to summer.
To the dismay of many residents, masks are not required in public on Hilton Head Island. On April 21, the seven-person town council voted unanimously to “encourage” people to prevent the spread of the virus.
“This is a recommendation that people ought to wear face masks,” Town Manager Steve Riley said at the meeting. “We have no authority to do anything more than that.”
The resolution provides no punishment for people who do not wear face masks in public, and gave no guidance for restaurant workers or close-contact businesses. Hilton Head leaders have consistently followed McMaster’s lead on statewide regulations. The Town Council passed a resolution suggesting short-term rentals close for the month of April, but quickly rescinded the suggestion, citing “massive threats of lawsuits.”
The Hilton Head Island - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has drafted much of the county’s reopening plan with the help of its members in “path forward committees.” The plan does not require face coverings for restaurant or hospitality employees.
The result is few masks in the tourism centers on the island, including the Coligny Beach area, Shelter Cove Towne Centre and Harbour Town Marina in Sea Pines.
Town officials reopened beaches in phases starting May 1 and crowds immediately ensued, packing parking lots and nearby restaurants consistently throughout the month. After several weeks of limiting beach access, all of Hilton Head’s public beach parks reopened May 22 — the start to Memorial Day weekend.
Now, tourism has largely returned to normal on the sea island. RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, originally set for April but canceled due to the coronavirus, took place June 18 through June 23 but was closed to spectators.
The island was on display on television for the event, but also on display for its seemingly lax response to the coronavirus. On June 20, golfer Justin Thomas suggested the relaxed attitudes around Sea Pines could be to blame for fellow tour player Nick Watney testing positive for the virus the day prior.
“I mean, no offense to Hilton Head, but they’re seeming to not take it very seriously,” Thomas said. “It’s an absolute zoo around here. There’s people everywhere. The beaches are absolutely packed. Every restaurant, from what I’ve seen when I’ve been driving by, is absolutely crowded. … Unfortunately, that’s not on Nick because I know he’s very cautious and has done everything he can, but I would say a lot of people in this area of Hilton Head just aren’t.”
Can SC city leaders enact their own rules on face masks?
Yes, they can, according to S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Wilson said Wednesday that cities can require residents to wear face masks while out in public.
While in some instances actions by a local government can be preempted by the state, South Carolina currently has no statewide rule on face coverings that would overrule local efforts to require residents to wear a mask, Wilson said.
“Our state constitution and state laws have given cities the authority to pass these types of ordinances under the doctrine of Home Rule,” Wilson said in a statement. “The basic premise behind the Home Rule doctrine is to empower local governments (ie: towns, cities and counties) to effectively govern themselves without interference from state government.”
Face mask rules in other states
With no vaccine to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing face masks to avoid being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others if you’re infected but don’t have symptoms.
According to the CDC, a cloth face covering can provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.
Other prevention methods include keeping a six-foot distance between individuals, maintaining good hygiene, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth, sanitizing and washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after frequenting a public place or sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.
The coronavirus can spread through respiratory droplets released into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, resulting in those droplets landing in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby, the CDC reports. The droplets can stay aloft within about six feet of the person, which is why social distancing is considered an effective model in averting the virus’ spread.
While face masks are recommended, the CDC makes exceptions for children under the age of 2 of anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Currently, only 17 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require residents and visitors to wear them. Those states include, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Rhode Island, Illinois, California, Michigan, Washington, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nevada and Hawaii.
According to a study done by John Hopkins University & Medicine, 12 states and D.C. have seen a downward trend in coronavirus cases since April. Others have recently implemented measures due to a rise in cases.
In Kentucky, cases have been inconsistent but the state saw cases decrease after Gov. Andy Beshear ordered all state residents to wear face masks in public on May 11 after the state saw a record 314 cases reported on May 4.
California’s cases have steadily increased, reaching a peak of 4,138 cases on June 19, according to Johns Hopkins. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order on June 18 requiring the use of face coverings in public indoor spaces, including while shopping, riding on public transportation or seeking medical care.
While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t issued any measures on face masks, several tourist cities have as the state’s cases continue to surge. Those include Tampa, Monroe County, which is home to the Florida Keys, Palm Beach County, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, St. Peterseburg and several cities in Miami-Dade County.
Florida’s Surgeon General Scott Rivkees on June 22 issued a public health advisory recommending people wear face masks in any setting where social distancing is not possible. The same day, DeSantis said that he supports wearing masks but not requiring them.
These are some states that have few restrictions and have seen a recent surge in cases: Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina.
South Carolina
After South Carolina reported 1,300 new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Wednesday, State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said during a press conference that requirements statewide to wear masks would be effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
Her comments came one day after McMcaster said he would not mandate people wear masks in public, and hours after three Northern Governors jointly issued a travel advisory asking those traveling from South Carolina, and nine other infected states, to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut to quarantine for up to two weeks upon their arrival.
The decision comes nearly three months after South Carolina, Florida and other states issued similar quarantine policies that included travel from the Tri-State area.
Additionally, United Airlines is suspending services to Myrtle Beach next month due to the pandemic, according to a statement from the company.
“As we continue to witness the rise in cases, if we work at strengthening mask requirements one municipality at a time, I do feel like we won’t get to where we need to be quickly enough,” Bell said. “On a statewide basis, it would certainly be much more effective if we could do something as soon as possible … to get the adoption widespread across the state.”
The Sun News reporters Tyler Fleming & Alex Lang and The Island Packet reporter Katherine Kokal contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 12:32 PM with the headline "‘Do something’: South Carolina, Myrtle Beach area leaders slow to react to COVID-19 surge."
