North Myrtle Beach bars new visitors to hotels, rentals amid coronavirus outbreak
North Myrtle Beach officials approved a measure restricting hotels and accommodation services from accepting visitors and new reservations until May.
North Myrtle Beach City Council passed an ordinance Thursday morning prohibiting short-term rentals starting 7 a.m. on Friday through April 30. Hotels, rental properties, inclusive of private management companies and HOA’s, Airbnb, VRBO-style lodging, public and private campgrounds and other overnight accommodations are included in the ordinance.
Short-term rentals extended to government, hospital, health agency, law enforcement, military and other critical personnel actively responding to COVID-19 will be exempt from the ordinance. Additionally, visitors currently checked in may remain until the end of their existing reservations.
Those who violate the ordinance would be subject to a fine not exceeding $500, up to 30 days in jail or both.
Myrtle Beach City Council discussed passing a similar measure Thursday afternoon but hadn’t voted on an ordinance as of 3 p.m.
Nearly two weeks after Horry County reported its first confirmed cases of coronavirus, the number has grown to 21 as of Thursday afternoon. South Carolina has reported 456 cases in 39 counties, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
There has been one death in Horry County due to the virus. The first case of the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area was confirmed March 14. South Carolina has had nine deaths.
DHEC projects the state will reach 2,657 cumulative cases by April 2 and 8,053 cases by May 2, though projected data is estimated and may change significantly due to various factors, the agency said.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
