Ready to reopen? Governor McMaster lifts more restrictions

Jun 13, 2020 9:42 AM EDT

Crysty Vaughan,

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is reopening more places as the state lifts Coronavirus restrictions.

But at the same time the Governor extended the State of Emergency.

Governor McMaster briefing

ABC Columbia image McMaster briefing coronavirus

The Governor also released a statement about safety:

“South Carolinians know what they can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and it’s incumbent upon each and every one of us to follow the advice and recommendations of the public health experts,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “We also must continue our methodical approach towards getting South Carolinians back to work and businesses contributing to the state’s economy. Businesses simply can’t be closed indefinitely, but they can operate in a safe way with our collective knowledge of the virus.”

According to officials, Governor Henry McMaster has issued Executive Order 2020-40, which declares a new state of emergency, allows bowling alleys to open immediately, and lifts restrictions on the occupancy of retail establishments.

In a release from the Governor’s office, officials say details on safely lifting restrictions were developed by the “Response” component of AccelerateSC, with advice and recommendations from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

The guidelines include, but are not limited to the following:

Bowlers should be spread out on the lanes to ensure that they are 6 feet or more apart. This can be accomplished by either limiting the number of people on one lane at a time and/or having an empty lane in between each active one.
Request that customers bring their own bowling balls and shoes, if they have them.
Clean and disinfect bowling balls and shoes between users.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (bathroom doors, sink handles, chairs, etc.) routinely throughout the day.
Provide hand sanitizer at each lane. Make disinfectant available to customers who want to disinfect their ball and lane.
Disable video games, juke boxes, etc. OR clean and disinfect them between each user.

Additional guidelines for all South Carolina businesses can be found on the A ccelerateSC website.

Previous coverage: Columbia, S.C (WOLO)–The number of coronavirus cases in South Carolina continues to balloon.
Friday DHEC announced another record breaking number of cases of COVID-19, 770.