City of Myrtle Beach issues two more orders following McMaster’s coronavirus mandate
Myrtle Beach officials are enforcing extra provisions to accompany S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order telling people to stay at home if they are not working or tending to essential needs to stem the coronavirus outbreak.
City Manager John Pedersen issued two executive orders Monday afternoon mandating that employees engaged in all types of delivery service wear a face mask or similar preventative gear and use hand sanitizer prior to making a delivery to any home or business within city limits.
The second order requires all public transportation drivers, including those with busses, taxis, Ubers and Lyft services, to keep a distance of 6 feet from any passenger. If the size of the vehicle cannot accommodate a 6-foot separation, then the driver must wear a face mask or similar preventative gear and shall instruct the passenger to sit as far away as possible.
Additionally, drivers are advised to use hand sanitizer prior to handling any luggage or other personal possessions of a passenger. Residents are also encouraged to wear face masks upon leaving their homes.
To ensure public safety the city will close the two off-leash Bar Parcs, tennis/pickle ball courts at Midway Park, the Tennis Center, Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, the Ned Donkle Complex gates and the hockey rink.
Additionally, while Grand Park parking lots, picnic shelters and fitness equipment will be barricaded, the walking path along the lake will remain open for walking, jogging and biking. The picnic shelter at the Mountain Bike and Skills Park will also close, with parking space and amenities in the 43 remaining neighborhood parks barricaded.
The executive orders came moments after McMaster issued his “go to work or stay at home” order, a mandate city officials were going to enforce during a special meeting called Monday afternoon if the governor hadn’t.
“It’s clear that we all have a job to do and that job is to stay home,” Mayor Brenda Bethune said. “I know it’s a huge inconvenience but the sooner we stay apart the sooner we can all get back together, and I just commend this community for not only the effort to follow all of these safety guidelines and practices, but for the support you’ve given each other and the business community and you have really proven we are Myrtle Beach strong.”
Just three weeks after Horry County reported its first confirmed cases of coronavirus, the number has grown to 76 as of Monday afternoon. South Carolina has reported 2,232 positive coronavirus cases and 48 deaths, including six in Horry County.
McMaster’s executive order will take effect Tuesday at 5 p.m. as he urges residents to use “common sense” and stay home if they can. His decision comes after numerous other mandates were issued over the weeks, including prohibiting large gatherings, closing access to beaches and lakes and closing many nonessential businesses to curb the spread of COVID-19.
While people can still frequent businesses that are still open under previous orders and venture outdoors to exercise or take a walk, McMaster recommended residents prioritize their trips outside. Furthermore, the governor’s order restricts store capacity to five people inside per 1,000 square feet — or 20 percent of posted capacity.
A violation of the executive order is a misdemeanor and carries 30 days in jail and/or $100 fine for each day of violation.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 6:05 PM.
