South Carolina became one of the first states to reopen amid the coronavirus outbreak, joining nearby Georgia in taking an early gamble in restarting the economy.
On Monday, the state reopened restaurants, movie theaters, and social clubs to the public, the culmination of a multi-staged approach to turning lights back on across the state. The plan began on April 20, starting with public beaches and retailers that sell furniture, apparel, sporting goods, books, crafts, music, and flowers, among other goods. Four days later, on April 24, South Carolina let consumers back into gyms, hair salons, barbershops, fitness centers, and massage therapy services.
In a press conference last week, South Carolina Gov. Henry McNaster said these establishments are prohibited from admitting more than 20% capacity and will be required to enforce social distancing recommendations and proper hand sanitizing protocols.
Still, the governor is expected to renew South Carolina's state of emergency and stay-at-home order for the next 15 days, according to local news reports. As of Monday, the state has 5,490 confirmed cases and is expected to reach peak utilization of hospital resources on April 30, according to an analysis by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
"We are still in a very serious situation … we must be sure that we continue to be strict and disciplined with our social distancing," McMaster said last week. "Our goal was to cause the most damage possible to the virus, while doing the least possible damage to our businesses. South Carolina's business is business."
In total, 16 states are expected to begin to ease restrictions this week. While sentiments remain mixed over the state's efforts, some residents in the Palmetto State are tepidly returning to malls and eateries, using varying degrees of protection. Here's a closer look at what it's like:
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