Full Notification

Governor prohibits new reservations for short-term rentals in executive order
 

In his Friday, April 3, 2020, coronavirus (COVID-19) press conference with state public health officials, Governor Henry McMaster prohibited short-term rentals from making/accepting new reservations.

Please see the below information from pages six and seven of his executive order (2020-19), which is attached to this advisory in its entirety:

"B. I hereby order and direct that effective Friday, April 3, 2020, at 5:00 p.m., any and all individuals, entities, or establishments engaged in the provision of short-term rentals, vacation rentals, or other lodging accommodations or operations in exchange for consideration (collectively “Lodging”), as set forth below, in the State of South Carolina are prohibited from making or accepting new reservations or bookings from or for individuals residing in or traveling from any country, state, municipality, or other geographic area subject to or identified in a CDC travel advisory or other CDC notice as a location with extensive community transmission of COVID-19, to include the Tri-State Area (consisting of the States of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut)."

"C. For purposes of this Section, Lodging shall include the following:

     1. A “lodging establishment,” as defined by section 45-2-20(2) of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended, to mean “a hotel, motel, villa, condominium, inn, tourist court, tourist camp, campground, bed and breakfast, residence, or any place in which rooms, lodging, or sleeping accommodations are furnished to transients for a consideration.”

     2. A vacation rental property or other short-term rental property that involves the rental of any house, condominium, room, or other dwelling unit for a period of less than ninety (90) days if such property is advertised, represented, or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to, or available for rental to, guests or if such property has been so advertised, represented, or held out to the public at any point during the preceding thirty (30) days."

"D. This Section does not prohibit any individual, entity, or establishment from providing Lodging to the following:

     1. Individuals operating commercial vehicles transporting essential goods and products, such as food, water, medicine, medical supplies and equipment, fuels and petroleum products (to include fuel oil, diesel oil, gasoline, kerosene, propane, and liquid petroleum), livestock, poultry, feed for livestock and poultry, and crops and other agricultural products ready to be harvested (to include timber and wood chips); individuals employed by airlines; and individuals otherwise engaged in commercial transportation activities.

     2. Individuals performing or assisting with military, healthcare, public safety, or emergency response operations, as well as any other operations or services identified by the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in its March 28, 2020 Memorandum, or any future amendments or supplements thereto, as essential to continued critical infrastructure viability."

List of non-essential businesses previously ordered closed through governor's executive order

Earlier this week, and also through his executive order on coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Henry McMaster ordered the below listed non-essential businesses to be closed to "non-employees and shall not be open for access or use by the public" by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April, 1, 2020:

 Entertainment venues and facilities as follows:
 

·         Racetracks
·         Indoor children’s play areas (excluding daycare facilities)
·         Adult entertainment venues
·         Bingo halls
·         Venues operated by social clubs

Recreational and athletic facilities and activities as follows:

·         Fitness and exercise centers and commercial gyms
·         Spas and public or commercial swimming pools
·         Group exercise facilities, to include yoga, barre, and spin studios or facilities
·         Spectator sports
·         Sports that involve interaction with another person in close proximity and within less than six (6) feet of another person
·         Activities that require the use of shared sporting apparatus and equipment
·         Activities on commercial or public playground equipment
 
Close-contact service providers as follows:

·         Barber shops
·         Hair salons
·         Waxing salons
·         Threading salons
·         Nail salons and spas
·         Body-art facilities and tattoo services
·         Tanning salons
·         Massage-therapy establishments and massage services

Clarification Assistance Provided by the South Carolina Department of Commerce

If a business has a question as to whether they qualify as essential, they should complete the Essential Business Clarification form located on the South Carolina Department of Commerce website, which will be easily accessible on the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s website. Questions can also be sent to [email protected], or business representatives can call 803-734-2873. A team from South Carolina Department of Commerce will review the business’s request for clarification, and the business will receive a response with their determination, essential or non-essential, within 24 hours. If a business is not explicitly addressed in the governor's executive order, the business should continue normal operations until a determination is made.
 

Verizon/AT&T customers NIXLE text issues
 

NIXLE reported that subscribers with cellular service through Verizon and AT&T may have experienced delays in receiving text notifications yesterday, Friday, April 3, 2020. NIXLE technical support advised they were working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. There were no problems with NIXLE email or mobile app notifications. To learn more about Everbridge NIXLE mobile app, please see the below link:
https://www.nixle.com/app/
 

 
As we move through this concerning coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner and the men and women of the Sheriff's Office would like to thank Beaufort County residents for their continued compliance with social distancing and the governor's executive order, and for their cooperation and courtesy with first responders and each other.

Any concerns regarding possible violations of the provisions of the governor's coronavirus (COVID-19) executive order, should be directed to law enforcement.