New week. New rules.
As quickly as South Carolina closed deals and activities to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Henry McMaster is lifting restrictions.
Here are the latest information on what is allowed and what is still prohibited, and why SC leaders are comfortable with the state reopening.
What restrictions have been lifted?
The following ban ends on Monday:
Close contact companies, including gyms, hairdressers, tanning salons and manicures.
The governor lifted restrictions on staying at home and ended the prohibitions on:
Dinner in restaurants (internal and external).
Public boat ramps, as well as limitations on navigation.
Public access by the sea / beach.
Retailers, including furniture, jewelry, shoes, bookstores and department stores, florists and street markets
Hotels and short-term rentals for residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as 14-day quarantine for visitors from those states.
What prohibitions and closings remain in effect?
Meetings of three or more that threaten public health.
Stadiums, auditoriums, cinemas, sights, playgrounds and bowling alleys.
Meetings of 50 or more on publicly owned sites.
When will South Carolina lift the other restrictions?
McMaster has not given a date, but says he will do it as soon as possible.
When will non-essential civil servants return to work?
More than 55,000 state employees working from home or on leave will gradually return as masks and other personal protective equipment become available at state agencies.
The first batch of workers returns on June 1. There is no deadline for the rest.
More than 19,000 state employees were still coming to work.
Why do South Carolina leaders believe it is okay to reopen business in the state?
The governor said that more Southern Carolinians are following restrictions and rules of social distance based on reports from police authorities and state traffic data.
Companies are also responsible for distancing practices, which should help limit contact between people, say government leaders. The state has not exhausted medical resources, especially after a recommended suspension for elective surgery, and now has plans for further tests and contact tracking.
The number of South Carolina cases has stabilized over the past three weeks. The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control said that social detachment helped stem the spread of the virus.
Still, leading scientists emphasized that they would like to see a two-week drop in the number of cases before they feel comfortable with the mass meetings.
McMaster wants to restart the economy after more than 450,000 South Carolina residents filed for unemployment insurance over nearly two months.
Don’t the White House guidelines suggest two weeks of reducing the number of cases in a state before reopening companies?
Yes, but President Donald Trump said that states are free to make their own decisions based on their circumstances. McMaster insisted that he is opening the state carefully. And South Carolina health officials supported their reopening decisions.
Why is South Carolina at the same level or close to the last place in the country in tests per capita?
The lack of testing comes from a shortage of national supplies that has prompted South Carolina and other states to prioritize testing of people who were sickest, as well as health professionals and first responders, said state epidemiologist Linda Bell.
The state was unable to perform tests in poorer rural areas, with limited access to health care providers. In addition, in other states that also booked tests, which include the national hot spots in New Orleans and New York, there were many more sick people to test than in South Carolina, which ranks in the bottom third of the country in per capita cases, she added.
South Carolina has plans to step up testing. The goal is to test 110,000 people, about 2% of the population, each month starting in May. The state has tested 93,000 people since the outbreak began in March.
Do people have to wear a mask?
There is no state requirement to use masks, although medical professionals recommend them for activities in which people will be in close contact, such as when shopping.
Are students going to go back to school next fall?
South Carolina’s K-12 schools are still working on their plans, but have not announced what will happen. They may include limiting the number of students in schools each day.
Colleges have plans to resume classes in the fall, but are still working on logistics.