Full Notification

This afternoon, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman issued a joint statement advising that "the governor will issue an additional executive order to extend the K-12 school closures through the month of April in the coming days."

Please read on for the joint statement, as well as information from Beaufort County Government, links to Beaufort County's municipalities and coronavirus (COVID-19) information and resources. 

Joint Statement from Gov. Henry McMaster, S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman

Governor Henry McMaster and South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman today released the following joint statement announcing that South Carolina’s schools will remain closed for the duration of the month of April:

“At this time, students, parents, and families should plan for South Carolina’s schools to remain closed through the month of April. Our dedicated teachers and school administrators have done a tremendous job in making it possible for our students to learn at home. We understand that the prospect of schools remaining closed for an extended period of time places stress and strain on parents and children. Rest assured, if there is any way to safely open our schools earlier, we will do that, but schools must remain closed to protect the health and safety of South Carolinians.”

On March 15, Governor McMaster issued Executive Order 2020-09, which closed public schools for students and non-essential employees through March 31st. The governor will issue an additional executive order to extend the K-12 school closures through the month of April in the coming days.

As his previous executive order did, the governor’s executive order will apply to the state’s public colleges, universities, and technical colleges, and encourage those institutions to maintain existing plans to provide instruction through virtual learning.

Beaufort County Government

As of Monday, March 23, 2020, all Beaufort County buildings are closed to the public until further notice. Many services are still available online, by telephone, or through mail. There are bins outside of the County Administration Building (100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort S.C.) for citizens to drop off and pick up paperwork such as business license applications, permit applications and plans for review. The County will invoice for any associated fees for submission that normally require immediate payment. Please to do not deposit cash or checks in these bins, which will be monitored and emptied daily so that all paperwork can be processed accordingly.

All Convenience Centers are open and operating on their regular schedules. Emergency and public safety services remain available.
For more updates from Beaufort County government, please visit its website:
https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/

Daufuskie Island Ferry Service 

Starting Wednesday, March 25, 202, the Daufuskie Island Ferry Service will operate only twice daily. The schedule is as follows:

• Morning departure to Daufuskie Island at 7:00 a.m., from Buckingham Landing, and returning at 8:30 a.m.
• Afternoon departure to Daufuskie Island at 4:00 p.m., from Buckingham Landing, and returning at 5:30 p.m. 

For information from Beaufort County's municipalities: the City of Beaufort, the Town of Bluffton, the Town of Hilton Head Island, the Town of Port Royal and the Town of Yemassee, please visit their websites below: 

The City of Beaufort: https://www.cityofbeaufort.org/

The Town of Bluffton: https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/

The Town of Hilton Head Island: https://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/

The Town of Port Royal: http://www.portroyal.org/

The Town of Yemassee: https://www.townofyemassee.org/
 

Please stay with official sources for information on coronavirus (COVID-19)
 

We want to remind and thank Beaufort County residents and guests for staying with official government and medical sources for their information about coronavirus (COVID-19), namely the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). While social media can provide good information on a variety of topics, it also provides an easy avenue for the spread of misinformation. If you choose to get your information on coronavirus through social media, please visit official government and medical agency Facebook, Nextdoor and Twitter sites, as most, if not all agencies, have a presence on social media. Please see the attached PDF document for important information on coronavirus (COVID-19). 

FEMA rumor-control link for coronavirus (COVID-19)

 
To address misinformation and provide the public with accurate information regarding coronavirus, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created a rumor-control link. We encourage Beaufort County residents to visit FEMA's link, which should assist in dispelling misinformation:
https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus-rumor-control

 

We will continue communications on coronavirus (COVID-19) with our federal, state, county and municipal partners, and will keep you informed on impacts it may have on Beaufort County.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office cares about your health and safety. As we move through these concerning times, we ask you to please continue to remain calm and courteous with one another.