South Carolina House passes COVID liability protection bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A bill that would prevent lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 has passed the South Carolina Senate. The bill was approved with a 40-3 vote on Thursday. It now goes to the House. The proposal protects businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits as long as state and federal guidelines toward preventing the spread of the disease are followed. Opponents of the bill say existing laws could handle the problem and pointed out there is just one lawsuit pending in state court where someone blames a business for their illness.