We counted masks in Myrtle Beach area shops as holidays start. Here’s what we found.
Masks continue to be en vogue in the Myrtle Beach area.
For the third time since the coronavirus pandemic started, The Sun News set out to count the number of people wearing masks in some popular Horry County locations. Reporters with The Sun News wore mask while counting and was not included in the count of people at the locations.
The most recent count, done in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, showed many people still wear masks, though the percentage was down slightly from a count in July.
When we first counted in June, many places saw fewer than 25% of people wearing masks. That count was before mask ordinances were instituted in many Grand Strand communities. That count also happened before the Myrtle Beach area saw a massive increase in COVID-19 cases
As cases increased around the July 4 holiday—with some days seeing more than 200 new infections a day—many municipalities and Horry County enacted ordinances requiring masks when indoors or in places social distancing was not practical.
During the second count in mid-July, we found a significant change in behavior with some places seeing 80-90% of patrons wearing face coverings.
We again decided to count the number of people wearing masks in November as Horry County dropped its mask requirement earlier in the month. It’s also marked the start of the holiday shopping season.
We saw most people wore masks, but the percentage was slightly lower at some locations compared to July. We also saw dozens not wearing masks at places that either required them or recommended their use.
The counts are only meant to be a snapshot in time. There is no perfect way to count people as they constantly move in an area. But, by walking through the stores, there is an accurate portrayal of the patterns. The counts are also during a specific time, so the results could have been different hours later. But, we found percentages held steady no matter the location or time of day.
Here are the results from our most recent count:
Tangers Outlets in North Myrtle Beach around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday
The outlet mall in North Myrtle Beach saw 77 people wearing masks and 37 people without face coverings. Some stores had markings on the ground outside the stores to encourage social distancing as people waited to go inside.
That figure was up from a July count, which saw a split of 68 non-mask wearers and 65 who did.
Bass Pro Shop at Myrtle Beach Mall around noon.
The popular outdoors shop had 81 people wearing masks and 28 who did not. That is down slightly from the July count, which had 92 people wearing masks and five who did not.
In the June count, we found 116 people not wearing masks and 19 who did.
Home Depot in North Myrtle Beach around 12:30 p.m.
The store had 48 people who wore masks this week and seven people who did not. When we counted in July, we found 32 with a face covering and two people without.
Food Lion on S.C. 9 outside of Longs around 12:50 p.m.
There were 25 people who wore masks and five people who did not, despite a sign at the entrance that stated masks were required.
During the July count, we found 40 people with a face covering and two without a mask.
KJ’s Market IGA in Aynor around 1:40 p.m.
In July, we saw 10 people wearing masks and four who did not. When we counted this week, we found 34 people wearing masks and 18 who did not.
Walmart on Church Street in Conway around 2 p.m.
The store has signs that require masks, and despite that, we found 30 people walking around and shopping with no face coverings. There were 178 people who wore a mask.
Those numbers were a slight dip from July, where we found 202 people wore masks and 29 with no face covering.
Lowe’s on U.S. 501 around 2:30 p.m.
At Lowe’s, we found 74 people who wore masks and 18 who did not. The numbers were almost identical to the July count that found 74 people who wore masks, compared with 19 who did not.
Publix’s grocery store in Carolina Forest around 2:45 p.m.
Publix’s had the best percentage of mask wearers of any place during our November count. The store had 97 people who wore masks compared to three who did not. The store was packed as people picked up the last few items for Thanksgiving.
When we visited in July, we found 58 people wearing masks and three who did not.
Ocean Boulevard from 14th Avenue North to 9th Avenue North and the Boardwalk around 4:45 p.m.
This area continues to have the lowest percentage of mask wearers among all places we have visited. However, it was less of an issue in November as fewer people meant there were more opportunities for social distancing.
During the first count in June, we found 516 people not wearing masks and eight who did. When we went in July, we counted 252 people not wearing masks and 25 people wearing face coverings.
In the most recent count, 164 people did not have masks and 34 did.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 10:36 AM.
