State health officials say social distancing efforts have helped slow the spread of COVID-19 in South Carolina, but with 10 additional deaths reported Wednesday there are now 107 fatalities with 3,656 confirmed cases.
Among those dead are six people who attended the same funeral in early March. All were over the age of 60 and African-American – two at-risk populations that have been disproportionately affected by the disease.
Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency in mid-March, but he did not issue a stay-at-home order until four days ago. The order is similar to those issued in other states, as it closed nonessential businesses and prohibits travel except for the purposes of obtaining medical care, groceries or caring for someone else. It prohibits gatherings of more than three people, whereas most states put that number at 10.
Legally mandated travel also is allowed, such as for child custody transfers.
McMaster in March also closed all public beach access and an April 3 executive order said vacation rentals and hotel reservations could not be accepted for anyone heading to South Carolina from anywhere identified in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel advisory, in particular noting the “Tri-State Area” of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The tourism industry in the Palmetto State had taken a hit before the governor’s order.
Reports show hotel occupancy in Charleston County was below 17 percent the first week in April. The county is predicting a loss of more than $520 million in tourism revenue from mid-March to mid-April.
The city of Myrtle Beach enacted an ordinance of its own in late March banning short-term lodging. Coastal Carolina University’s Center for Resort Tourism said revenue in Horry County, where Myrtle Beach is located, was down 60 percent based on per available hotel room from Feb. 23 to April 4, encompassing the entire spring break season.
Aside from the tourism industry, South Carolina’s economy as a whole has been hit hard. New jobless claims have increased almost 4,300 percent in the past four weeks for a total of 268,000, including 87,000 new claims last week.
Also in Horry County, the school system has suspended its meal program after four employees tested positive for coronavirus, including one death. The district had served more than 166,000 meals at 13 grab-and-go sites since March 16. The rest of the employees who had been involved with the program must now self-quarantine.
Schools statewide are closed through at least the end of April.
