Last week, Governor Henry McMaster issued the Last Call Executive Order, which went into effect on July 11, this order prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages at bars and restaurants after 11 p.m.
Courtesy photo
SOUTH CAROLINA — Governor Henry McMaster has issued a new executive order called the Last Call Executive Order, which prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages at all South Carolina restaurants and bars after 11 p.m.
“To help reduce the rapid transmission of the coronavirus, typically among young adults congregating in bars and restaurants at night, this executive order will prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages at all South Carolina restaurants and bars after 11 p.m.,” McMaster said. “Many of the young people in our state, and across the country, seem to not be taking this virus as seriously as they should and we hope this will help all of us, particularly the younger generations, to realize how serious this virus is and how much is at stake if we don’t see these infection rates dropping.”
McMaster, during a Friday press conference, said the suffering and economic damage are not all that has been inflicted by the virus. He said there is also mental, emotional, and educational consequences that are all tied up together.
“It is enormous damage that is being done, inflicted on our state because of this, despite our best efforts,” he said. “Businesses, livelihoods and educations have suffered. Children have lost valuable learning time, their memories of things in school and friends and routines due to the closure of our schools.”
McMaster said they are concerned of the spread of the virus from the younger generations to the older generations, unintentionally.
“It is time for our younger adults to behave like mature adults,” McMaster said. “Wear your mask, keep that distance, wash your hands, be careful.
The Last Call Executive Order went into effect Saturday, July 11 at 11 p.m. and will stay in place until further notice, according to McMaster. This new order does not apply to alcohol sold at convenience stores, grocery stores, wine and liquor stores or retail businesses.
“Until things get better and if things don’t get better, we will take other steps as necessary,” he said.
Restaurants and bars that violate this order may have their beer and wine or liquor permits suspended by the S.C. Department of Revenue, according to McMaster, along with being ticketed with a fine.
“Other things like masks, our cities and counties have taken action — local action for the local people. That’s fine,” he said.
McMaster said a statewide mask order would be difficult because, “one size doesn’t fit all.”
“This (Last Call Order) we can enforce and we will. We believe this will help in reducing the spread of the virus,” he said.
Dr. Joan Duwve, with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said that 11,090 of the 50,458 cases in South Carolina are in people 21-30 years old — 22 percent of cases.
Additionally, 15 percent of cases in the state are people 20 years of age or younger.
She said, since June 1, there has been a 436.5 percent increase in newly reported cases in the 21-30 age group in South Carolina.
According to SCDHEC’s website, 16 percent of cases are those 31-40, 15 percent of cases are those 41-50, 14 percent of cases are those 51-60, six percent of cases are those 71-80, and four percent of the cases are those 81 and up.
Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.