Confused about mask rules and COVID-19 tests on the Grand Strand? Here’s what to know

As the coronavirus spreads and hospitalizations spike in the Myrtle Beach area, some local governments have altered their rules around face coverings.

That means in some areas on the Grand Strand, masks are required. In others, they’re only encouraged.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said wearing face masks, social distancing and consistent hand washing are key to minimizing the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 164,000 people in South Carolina since mid-March.

The different rules on the Grand Strand can get confusing. To help you keep track, we broke it down.

Horry County

Horry County council voted last week to let its mask mandate expire Oct. 30, after which residents and visitors will no longer have to wear masks in businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Horry County’s mask rules only apply to unincorporated parts of the county, but not towns and cities, which are under the jurisdiction of their own councils.

There’s a chance the mask mandate could be debated again in mid-November. If a council member who previously voted against the county’s emergency ordinance — which includes the mask requirement — brought it up for discussion at the council’s Nov. 17 meeting, another vote could follow. In order for the requirement to be reinstated, at least eight members of council would need to vote in favor.

If the mandate is brought back, people would need to wear face coverings in businesses in unincorporated Horry County unless they fall under the exemptions, which include people with religious beliefs or medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask, among other things.

Myrtle Beach

After voting to enact a mask mandate in July and extending it again in the fall, Myrtle Beach will continue to be under a mask requirement until at least the end of November. Mayor Brenda Bethune announced Tuesday her intention to extend the city’s emergency declaration, which also includes the face covering requirement.

Face coverings include surgical masks, bandannas, scarves and gaiters among other things. They are required in public places such as grocery stores, retail stores, pharmacies and food establishments. The requirement doesn’t apply to the beaches.

People who violate the mandate could be subject to up to $100 fine. Each day the ordinance is violated is considered a new offense.

Businesses in the city are also required to have their employees wear masks or face coverings. If they don’t, the business risks being declared a “public nuisance,” according to the ordinance.

Exemptions to the ordinance include people who have religious beliefs that prohibit face coverings or are unable to remove their own face coverings. The ordinance also doesn’t apply to children under the age of 10, but parents are encouraged to have their children cover their faces in public.

Myrtle Beach includes some “doughnut holes,” or areas of unincorporated Horry County that are surrounded by incorporated Myrtle Beach. The doughnut holes are subject to Horry County’s rules on face coverings.

North Myrtle Beach

North Myrtle Beach city council voted last week to extend their mask mandate, placing it in effect until the city’s emergency declaration regarding the pandemic is no longer active.

The ordinance says face coverings must be worn in retail businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies and salons. Businesses are responsible for requiring their employees to wear masks, but they aren’t responsible for enforcing the mandate. Signs explaining the requirement should be posted in businesses, the ordinance says.

The requirement doesn’t apply to the beaches.

The city’s ordinance includes up to a $25 fine for a civil infraction if an individual doesn’t wear a mask. Businesses who don’t adhere to the requirement can face up to $100 in fines each day.

People who are unable to remove their own mask or have religious beliefs deterring them from wearing a face covering are exempt from the order.

Conway

The City of Conway Council voted to extend its mask requirement Oct. 5. It will expire after 60 days unless the “emergency term” is further renewed, according to the ordinance.

The requirement applies to food and retail establishments and any facility open to the public within the city of Conway. Businesses must require their employees to wear face coverings as well, the ordinance states.

People who do not adhere to the mandate face up to a $25 fine. Any “responsible person,” or someone with the authority to require employees to wear masks, who doesn’t follow the requirement is subject to up to $100 in fines each day in violation. If a business has multiple violations, it’s possible permits or business licenses can be suspended or revoked, the ordinance says.

As with other municipalities, some exemptions apply. For example, face coverings aren’t required when outdoors and when social distancing can be maintained. Children under the age of 5 are exempt, as are people with health issues or religious beliefs keeping them from wearing a mask.

Surfside Beach

Many municipalities on the Grand Strand passed emergency ordinances requiring face coverings this summer as cases were surging. The Town of Surfside Beach stopped short of passing a requirement, and hasn’t instated one since.

Council members cited difficulty of enforcement and freedom of choice as their reasons for not passing a requirement in July.

Residents and visitors were instead strongly encouraged to wear masks or face coverings, and a mandate hasn’t been proposed since.

Atlantic Beach

The town of Atlantic Beach’s mask mandate has expired, but at a meeting Nov. 9, the town council will hear the second reading of an ordinance to reinstate the requirement.

The expired ordinance was similar to requirements put in place by other municipalities, including a fine of up to $25 for violators and a clause requiring businesses to post signs informing customers of the requirement.

Georgetown County

Georgetown County council voted 6-1 to extend its mask requirement Tuesday, obligating residents and visitors to wear a face covering in public places until Dec. 8.

A violation of the order is a misdemeanor punishable by a $25 fine. Exemptions to the mask order include medical conditions or religious beliefs that don’t allow for masks or face coverings.

COVID-19 Testing in Horry and Georgetown Counties

With more than 11,500 positive tests in Horry County and nearly 2,000 in Georgetown County, more than 30 testing locations are available across the Grand Strand and the South Strand.

In Horry County, 18 locations are available, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Georgetown County offers 13 testing locations. Many options are free and return results quickly.

To find the testing location closest to you, check DHEC’s interactive map of testing locations across South Carolina.

DHEC says anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested for the virus as soon as possible. Symptoms include fever, cough, new loss of taste or smell, body aches and headaches, among other things. If you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, it’s best to get tested even if you don’t have symptoms, according to DHEC.

For those who are regularly out in the community, DHEC recommends getting tested for the coronavirus at least once a month, whether symptoms are present or not.