McMaster lifts restrictions on bowling alleys, retail capacity limits

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Gov. Henry McMaster will allow bowling alleys to reopen and is lifting restrictions on the occupancy of retail establishments as he issues a new state of emergency in the coronavirus pandemic.

McMaster issued a new executive order Thursday which declared a new state of emergency.

“South Carolinians know what they can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and it’s incumbent upon each and every one of us to follow the advice and recommendations of the public health experts,” McMaster said. “We also must continue our methodical approach towards getting South Carolinians back to work and businesses contributing to the state’s economy. Businesses simply can’t be closed indefinitely, but they can operate in a safe way with our collective knowledge of the virus.”

Bowling alleys can reopen immediately, but with the following guidelines developed by the AccelerateSC task force and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control:

• Bowlers should be spread out on the lanes to ensure that they are 6 feet or more apart. This can be accomplished by either limiting the number of people on one lane at a time and/or having an empty lane in between each active one.
• Request that customers bring their own bowling balls and shoes, if they have them.
• Clean and disinfect bowling balls and shoes between users.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (bathroom doors, sink handles, chairs, etc.) routinely throughout the day.
• Provide hand sanitizer at each lane. Make disinfectant available to customers who want to disinfect their ball and lane.
• Disable video games, juke boxes, etc. OR clean and disinfect them between each user.

The governor said during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon that he would issue a new state of emergency to replace the previous one which expired on Thursday.

McMaster released the new executive order on the same day the Palmetto State set a new record on the number of newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, DHEC reported 687 new cases, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.

Thursday’s update brought the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 16,441 and those who have died to 588.

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