COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - As parts of the state begin to reopen to commerce and recreation, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is praising South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, measures that have been met with criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
“I think his slow progress in trying to find a way to open South Carolina’s economy is consistent with the president’s,” Scott said Thursday during a Facebook live conversation about the state’s business community. “I think the governor has handled this entire crisis really well.”
Since beginning a stair-step economic shutdown as the coronavirus spread in March, McMaster has repeatedly stressed his desire for a swift, yet safe, financial reopening, noting the severe toll the outbreak has had on individual workers and businesses.
“We took a more targeted approach,” McMaster said during the same Facebook event Thursday, adding that, he focused first, on restricting businesses where the virus would be more likely to spread. “Those are the ones we restricted or limited or, in some cases, had to close.”
Hotels can start reopening Friday, and the Myrtle Beach City Council passed rules prohibiting more than one person or family to an elevator and requiring the cleaning of often touched surfaces like stair rails and doorknobs once an hour.
The state’s most visited beach will only allow hotels to honor previously made reservations until May 15, when they can start accepting new reservations.
On Thursday, officials announced 65,159 people had filed for state unemployment benefits, down nearly 8,000 from the week before. Over the last six weeks, the total number of jobless claims was nearly 407,000, about 17% of South Carolina’s labor force.
Nationally, officials said Thursday the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits because of the coronavirus has soared past 30 million, worsening a crisis unmatched since the 1930s.
Last week, McMaster announced his plans to begin scaling South Carolina’s economy back up, convening a task force set up to advise him on next steps and allowing businesses previously deemed nonessential - department stores, flea markets, florists, bookstores and music shops - to reopen.
McMaster had originally faced criticism and pressure from one segment of lawmakers and the public that he didn’t close businesses quickly enough in March. On Wednesday, three conservative legislators argued that McMaster’s reopening plan would take too long, asking South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas to call lawmakers back to the Statehouse and end the governor’s emergency orders over the coronavirus.
Those opposed to reopening too quickly said it could allow a second wave of virus infections and economic shutdowns that will make things worse for businesses and workers.
On Thursday, Lucas, who has not commented on the lawmakers’ request, notified House members they would be called back into session on May 12.
McMaster’s official stay-at-home order remains in place, although that mandate already allowed the patronage of essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores and medical facilities, as well as thousands of others that received waivers from state officials.
In terms of recreation, McMaster has opened up public boat ramps that had been closed for several weeks and allowed public beach access points to reopen, although some municipalities have opted to stay closed.
For most people, the coronavirus behind the pandemic causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause severe illness such as pneumonia, or even death.
South Carolina has reported nearly 6,100 COVID-19 cases and 244 deaths, according to Thursday’s update from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
After Wednesday’s meeting of his economic task force, McMaster told reporters he felt confident in the state’s response to the pandemic.
“We don’t want to make mistakes,” the governor said. “I don’t think that we’ve made any so far.”
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Associated Press Writer Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
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