Upstate legislators say Gov. McMaster to announce reopening of retail stores and beaches
Two Upstate legislators told The Greenville News they were notified Saturday by Gov. Henry McMaster's office that McMaster will announce on Monday that retail stores and beaches can reopen.
A spokesman for McMaster did not respond to a phone message, text message and email seeking comment Saturday night.
State Rep. Stewart Jones, a Republican from Greenwood, said he received a call about Monday's announcement from Sym Singh, director of legislative affairs in the governor's office.
Jones on Saturday praised McMaster for deciding to reopen retail stores and beaches, telling The News it is "a great first step."
State Rep. Josiah Magnuson, a Republican from Spartanburg County, told The News he also was contacted by the governor's office on Saturday. He said he was told that McMaster will limit the number of customers in reopened stores to 20% of their fire-code capacity in order to maintain social distancing. Social distancing rules also will apply to beaches, Magnuson said.
"It is time to get our state back to work again," Magnuson said on Saturday night.
McMaster issued separate orders on March 31 and April 3 to close non-essential businesses that ranged from barbershops and gyms to clothing, furniture and jewelry stores. It was not clear Saturday night precisely which types of stores will be allowed to reopen next week. The Republican governor closed the state's beaches and public boat ramps on March 30.
At a news conference Friday, McMaster announced that he was allowing public boat ramps to reopen. He and other state officials also said shuttered manufacturing plants would soon be back in operation.
McMaster predicted Friday that South Carolina's economy would "be humming again by the end of June." But he also cautioned that state officials must proceed slowly in lifting a stay-home order and other restrictions that have been put in place during the past month in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
As of Saturday, 4,246 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in South Carolina and 119 have died.
Jones and Magnuson, along with state Rep. Jonathon Hill of Townville, sent a letter to McMaster on April 10 urging him to let closed businesses reopen.
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