This morning, Greenville City Council will meet to affirm an emergency ordinance issued by Mayor Knox White yesterday afternoon on social distancing.
Here’s the highlights what’s included in the ordinance, issued yesterday afternoon by Mayor Knox White:
○ Urge the Governor to follow the lead of many other U.S. states, and order a “stay-at-home” mandate for South Carolina.
○ Make it illegal for businesses to allow customers to not adhere to the proper social distancing measures – aka keeping at least six feet of space between other people, etc.
○ City residents are strongly urged to stay in their homes at all times, with a few exceptions (more on that in a second).
○ Anyone caught violating the ordinance would be subject to a criminal infraction and could face fines of up to $100
Read the ordinance in its entirety here.
The ordinance came down not long after the New York Times published a list of “Where America Didn’t Stay Home Even as the Virus Spread” and ranked Greenville County at the very top.
Why is that? While South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered for the closure of all non-essential businesses, he’s so far stopped short of ordering people to stay put. Instead, he says that the message from the beginning, a “strong recommendation,” has been to stay home.
Some local governments don’t think “strong recommendations” are sufficient in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Cities like Columbia and Charleston have passed emergency “stay at home” ordinances. As of yesterday – Spartanburg also passed an emergency ordinance that further outlines social distancing protocols.
City Council will meet to affirm Mayor White’s ordinance at 10 a.m. Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as we’ll be sure to break the news once the vote on this ordinance is in.
Here’s what you can still leave your house to do
○ Go to work, if your employer is among those permitted to stay open
○ Go to the grocery store
○ Go to the pharmacy
○ Go to a restaurant to pick up takeout food
○ Deliver essential items (like groceries and medication) to someone who isn’t able to get it themselves
○ Go outside for recreational purposes (but only by yourself or with someone you live with, and in a group of three or less people)
Here’s what you shouldn’t do
○ Go to a friend or family member’s house (unless you’re their caregiver or delivering groceries or medication)
○ Outdoor recreation that can’t be done with at least 6 feet of distance between you and others who aren’t apart of your household
○ Go to work, if your employer is not among those permitted to stay open
