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Gov. McMaster authorized police to disperse 3 or more people

SOUTH CAROLINA—As North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced Monday that public schools will be closed until at least May 15, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced later that he is authorizing police to disperse any gathering of 3 or more people. 

South Carolina had another 103 more Coronavirus cases announced on Monday and 2 more deaths due to the virus prior to McMaster’s announcement. 

McMaster stressed unruly gatherings and his rule does not apply to homes or legal businesses. He said the rule is intended to apply to gatherings South Carolina has seen at beaches. 

While McMaster said he hopes to not have to order a shelter-in-place order, everyone must assume everyone has the virus and assume all people we are talking to have the virus. 

A stay-in-place, which other states have initiated, would close non-essential businesses and limit people to travel only to buy food and medicine. 

South Carolina now has 298 cases total, which extends to 34 counties, including 2 in nearby Spartanburg County. 

There have been two people to die in South Carolina from the virus, one in Claredon County and another in Kershaw County, both who had underlying health conditions. 

“Based on our data as well as the data shared by other states and other countries, we in South Carolina should expect to see the number of positive cases to continue to increase,” said South Carolina Epidemiologist Linda Bell during Monday’s public announcement. “This disease is here, it’s in our communities and we all have a part to play in helping to stop the spread of it.”

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has tested 2,239 people for the Coronavirus so far. 

Governor Cooper in North Carolina announced the closing of schools until May 15 on Monday afternoon as well as the closing of all hair salons, barber shops, gyms, movie theaters and similar businesses offering activities that run counter to social distancing. Those businesses are to be closed by Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

There are nearly 300 cases of Coronavirus in North Carolina with no deaths yet. There are no cases in Polk County, although there are some who have been tested with no results yet. So far, all Polk County tests returned have been negative. 

There are also no confirmed cases in nearby Rutherford County. 

Check the North Carolina Health and Human Services website at www.ncdhhs.gov for North Carolina figures and the Centers for Disease Control website for federal figures.