Well, it took awhile, but S.C. Gov. McMaster finally issued what is basically a stay at home order, called a ‘home or work order’ during his press conference today at 4pm.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced a “home or work” order for all South Carolinians, effective Tuesday afternoon at 5pm.
“Under this order, everyone should stay home unless they are working, visiting family, recreating outdoor or obtaining necessary good and services,” he said during a briefing in Columbia Monday afternoon.
You may still leave your home to visit any one of the essential businesses that are still open across the state.
No additional businesses will close. Gov. McMaster on Friday expanded his list of non-essential businesses that must close, and that order went into effect Monday at 5:00 p.m.
The state is also requiring mandates for retail stories that do remain open. Moving forward, these stores must limit the number of customers and practice social distancing requirements in stores, meaning no more than five per 1,000 square feet or 20 percent of capacity, whichever is lower.
Those who do not comply with Gov. McMaster’s new orders will face criminal penalties including a misdemeanor charge and 30 days in jail or $100 fine for each day of violation.
McMaster stated this order is in effect because too many people are on the road and the on the water and are not abiding by social distancing guidelines to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’ve asked, we’ve urged, we’ve requested but the last week or so have shown that it’s not enough,” McMaster said.
This now adds teeth to the many cities in the Palmetto State who have issued their own stay at home orders, as Beaufort SC officially did this afternoon.
McMaster was one of several state Governors who have held out in issuing statewide shelter in place orders over the past several weeks. He has done just about every other thing he could do in that time period. S.C. was the only state in the southern or eastern part of the U.S. that hadn’t issued one as of today. The Governor called it an S.C. home or work order, avoiding calling it a shelter in place ordinance.
