By Patrick Phillips|March 18, 2020 at 7:06 AM EDT - Updated March 18 at 7:57 AM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's order that all restaurants, bars and cafeterias statewide stop all dine-in activity takes effect Wednesday.
McMaster gave the order during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
He said he made the decision after conversations with people including the director of the South Carolina Restaurant Association.
“We know a lot of these things are going to cause problems for businesses, but the enemy we face is this virus which is bigger than any sort of irritation or inconvenience that any of us could have," McMaster said.
He also prohibited organized events of 50 or more people held in the state.
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The state Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed Tuesday afternoon the number of positive cases of COVID-19 has reached 47.
The 14 new cases reported Wednesday include two in Charleston County and one in Beaufort County, DHEC officials said.
“We emphasize the importance of practicing disease prevention measures and following recommendations for social distancing to protect our community as a whole,” DHEC physician consultant Dr. Brannon Traxler said.
As of Thursday's report, cases have been found in 13 of the state's 46 counties.
- Anderson: 2
- Beaufort: 4
- Calhoun: 1
- Charleston: 3
- Fairfield: 1
- Greenville: 2
- Horry: 4
- Kershaw: 22
- Lancaster: 2
- Lexington: 3
- Richland: 1
- Spartanburg: 1
- York: 1
“We know that many South Carolinians are concerned about what impact this virus may have on themselves, their loved ones, and our state,” Traxler said. “This is a rapidly evolving public health event, and DHEC takes every new infectious disease seriously.”
DHEC encourages the public to follow recommendations for social distancing to protect the health and safety of all South Carolinians. This includes:
- Washing your hands frequently
- Covering your cough
- Staying home when you’re sick and not attend public gatherings
- Appropriately disposing tissues and other items that you’ve sneezed or coughed into
Several South Carolina health systems are offering telehealth options to the public.
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