ByRay Rivera|April 3, 2020 at 1:05 PM EDT - Updated April 3 at 10:11 PM
WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered the suspension of short-term rentals and hotels to people from COVID-19 hot spots.
According to the executive order, the hot spots consist of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
The executive order affects hotels, short-term rentals, motels, vacation homes, condominiums, bed and breakfast and timeshares.
The order excludes people who are transporting essential goods and products, and people performing or assisting with military, healthcare, public safety or other emergency response operations.
The governor has also extended his closure of non-essential businesses which now include the following:
- Furniture and home-furnishings stores
- Clothing, shoe, and clothing-accessory stores
- Jewelry, luggage, and leather goods stores
- Department stores, with the exception of hardware and home-improvement stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Book, craft, and music stores
- Flea markets
- Florists and flower stores
The executive order begins on Monday, April 6 at 5 p.m.
The order does not include hardware stores, firearm retailers and home improvement stores, according to the governor.
McMaster not issuing stay-at-home order, says South Carolina is unique
The governor alsotouched on the issue of why he has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order since nearby states have issued similar orders.
McMaster said a factor in his decision not to issue one is partly based on South Carolina being unique to other states in comparison to populations and cases of COVID-19.
Regarding Georgia, McMaster pointed out that in Atlanta there were more people there than in our state.
He also said New Orleans has become a hot spot for the virus in a “very short period of time,” while South Carolina has not.
“Every state is different,” McMaster said.”They have different economies. They have different resources. They have different medical facilities. We are taking a deliberate approach to be as aggressive as we possibly can at the right time.”
The governor said the decisions that have been made and will be made will be those that follow the “data and science” that state officials have been receiving.
South Carolina announces three additional deaths related to COVID-19, and 147 new cases
State health officials announced Friday afternoonthat there were three additional deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
This brings the state’s total number of deaths to 34, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The three patients were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions. Two were residents of Richland County and one of Greenville County.
DHEC also is reporting 147 additional cases of COVID-19.
As of today, the total number statewide is 1,700 cases in all 46 counties.
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