SC cities cancel New Year’s Eve events, ask public to stay home — but not Myrtle Beach
New Year’s Eve is the ultimate party of the year around the globe.
It’s also health officials’ worst nightmare this year. Massive parties filled with inebriated attendees who might let their guard down on social distancing and mask wearing are a recipe for quick spreading of the coronavirus.
Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, in preparation for such an outcome, canceled major annual New Year’s events and have spent the recent days begging residents to stay home.
But not Myrtle Beach.
The city green lit multiple holiday events in November that expected to draw hundreds of people each. This includes two New Year’s Eve celebrations that were still advertised on the city’s website Wednesday, as Horry County added 143 coronavirus cases to its count and South Carolina’s positive coronavirus test rate was just over 31%.
“I’m glad it worked out, seems to be working out so far,” City Council member John Krajc said at the November council meeting after the events were approved. “And for all the curveballs that 2020 has dealt us, I’m glad it’s not messing with our holiday season.”
The Myrtle Beach Hard Rock Cafe canceled its New Year’s Eve event “in an abundance of caution,” but its restaurant will remain open for regular dining service, according to a statement from the company. The restaurant had been planning to move forward with the event as recently as Sunday.
The city kept its own events, however, even as coronavirus cases have significantly increased, particularly since Thanksgiving, which brought record visitors to the Grand Strand.
Myrtle Beach’s decision stands in stark contrast to other parts of South Carolina. Greenville Mayor Knox White gave an emphatic plea Tuesday asking residents to stay home.
“It’s horribly unfair and irresponsible to the men and women in the health care community, the nurses and doctors who are fighting this on the front lines,” White said at a press conference.
Mayor Brenda Bethune was traveling Wednesday and said she would not be releasing a statement regarding New Year’s events or advice for residents until Thursday morning at the earliest.
Ignoring health recommendations
Health officials around the country have begged for weeks for Americans to stay home instead of traveling or going out for the holidays.
But a large chunk of the public, including many South Carolinians, have ignored this advice repeatedly. Myrtle Beach saw record numbers of travelers around Thanksgiving and Christmas, including record air travel.
“I think it’s fair to say that many of us are looking forward to leaving 2020 – the year that has taken so much from so many of us – behind,” SC’s chief epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a statement Wednesday. “But I join public health officials across the country and world in warning that New Year’s Eve celebrations could prove to be devastating. The safest way to celebrate, as it has been throughout this holiday season, is to stay home. In a year that has been full of sadness, loss and frustration, we can’t give up now. We must carry our vigilance into 2021.”
Tidelands Health’s chief doctor Gerald Harmon said he didn’t want to pass judgment on individual New Year’s events, but reiterated the danger of interacting with people outside of your home.
People must “break whatever New Year’s tradition they might have of gathering and and hugging and kissing and toasting each other,” he said.
With the positivity rate for coronavirus tests above 30% in the state, Harmon said it’s almost guaranteed that multiple people at almost any size gathering are carrying the disease. Many of them might not even present symptoms of the illness, appearing to be healthy only to test positive a few days later.
Indoor events like bars and restaurants present heightened risk for spreading the virus due to poor ventilation. But being in close quarters with strangers outdoors isn’t much better, health officials say.
At-home parties with people you don’t normally interact with also present ripe conditions for spreading COVID-19.
“A gathering is a gathering,” he said. “It’s a mindless organism that’s just out there ... It doesn’t care if it’s a restaurant or your home. Strangers that are in the same room gathering carry the increased risk of transmission and reception for the virus.”
Canceled events, pleas to stay home
North Myrtle Beach took a different approach, canceling several typical holiday events because of COVID-19 concerns, leaving only a drive-thru light display celebration for the public.
In Conway, the organization Conway Downtown Alive sought to plan a street festival-style New Year’s Eve celebration but was rejected by the state’s Department of Commerce, which must approve all events expected to draw more than 250 people, which are otherwise banned under an executive order from Gov. Henry McMaster. Between 1,000 and 5,000 people were expected at the now-canceled event.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin on Wednesday echoed the sentiments of Greenville’s mayor at his own press conference with local health officials. The city’s most prominent annual bash, Famously Hot New Year, decided to go virtual months ago.
“Enjoy the New Year’s celebrations from your home,” Benjamin implored. “Enjoy it from the safety of home with your family. Let’s take advantage of technology and have virtual parties and celebrations. ... It’s our turn to say goodbye to the most difficult year many of us could imagine. We can do it safely or we can do it recklessly. I would encourage you, let’s do it safely.”
Charleston’s mayor John Tecklenburg said “now is not the time to let our guards down” as he asked people to stay home for New Year’s in a Wednesday afternoon statement.
“The time for celebrations will come, but right now our focus must remain on keeping our citizens healthy, and the best way to do that this New Year’s Eve is to celebrate responsibly at home,” Tecklenburg said.
Next door in Mount Pleasant, the 1,000-person “Yorktown Countdown” event was canceled Wednesday.
The party goes on
The city of Myrtle Beach events are not the only ones aiming to attract people in the Grand Strand.
Oceanfront restaurants Banditos and Riptydz are both hosting New Year’s Eve events with bar sales that run from 7-11 p.m. Both plan to stay open until after midnight, according to Eventbrite listings. Charleston and Columbia also have private events run by bars and restaurants, but with rain in much of the forecast for parts of the state, many of them are indoors.
In Surfside Beach, a “VIP” event is set to take place at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront. It’s unclear how many people plan to attend, but the package includes an overnight stay, dinner, music, dancing and a champagne toast at midnight, according to an advertisement for the event.
Messages seeking comment by The Sun News were left with the hotel. However, a champagne toast at midnight would be a violation of Gov. Henry McMaster’s “Last Call” order, which bars businesses from selling or serving alcohol after 11 p.m. Consumption after that time is also banned. Drinks purchased at 10:59 p.m., for example, would need to be taken away a minute later if not consumed.
Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Hellyer said he didn’t know anything about the Holiday Inn event and advised people to be mindful of social distancing and wearing masks when celebrating New Year’s Eve. He put it this way: “I’ll say I’m not going anywhere on New Year’s.”
In a year where local businesses have been hit hard, Hellyer acknowledged the need to capitalize on a typically lucrative holiday. He said residents should support their local businesses, especially in Surfside Beach, where he says most businesses have taken effective safety measures against the spread of the virus.
“So it’s sort of a catch 22,” he said. “I think everyone needs to practice their social distancing and practicing their safe protocols. We’re encouraging people to go to their local businesses, but curbside and takeout are just as good as dine-in.”
Vaccines are on the way, but life won’t return to any semblance of “normal” for a few more months, said Harmon, the Tideland’s doctor.
It definitely won’t return to normal before the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, 2021.
So while acknowledging it might be frustrating, “What we have to do,” Harmon said, “is stay home.”
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Correction: A previous version of this story attributed two of Dr. Gerald Harmon’s quotes to Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Hellyer. The error has been corrected.
This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
