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Bars in South Carolina will no longer be permitted to sell booze after 11 p.m., a response from the government to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the region.
Gov. Henry McMaster announced the regulatory change Friday, saying it will go into effect Saturday evening. He attributed the decision to “skyrocketing” COVID-19 cases, and said he wanted the move to be a message to young people in particular to take the situation seriously.
In South Carolina, state officials reported 1,723 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional deaths in South Carolina Thursday, July 9. Officials have not made mask wearing mandatory, but cities like Clemson, Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston (effective July 1) have voted to require face masks when indoors or outdoors where it is not possible to social distance.
The order does not affect the sale of alcohol at convenience stores, grocery stores, or other retail stores.
• Gov. McMaster issues executive order prohibiting bars from selling alcohol past 11 p.m. [WISNEWS 10]
