McMaster reopens SC bowling alleys, lifts retail capacity restraints

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has issued Executive Order 2020-40, which declares a new state of emergency, allows bowling alleys to open immediately, and lifts restrictions on the occupancy of retail establishments.

The declaration comes just days after the top South Carolina health official overseeing efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the state said that she’s worried a lack of social distancing and adherence to other preventative measures are hampering efforts to fight the pandemic as infection numbers continue to rise.

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“South Carolinians know what they can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and it’s incumbent upon each and every one of us to follow the advice and recommendations of the public health experts,” McMaster said. “We also must continue our methodical approach towards getting South Carolinians back to work and businesses contributing to the state’s economy. Businesses simply can’t be closed indefinitely, but they can operate in a safe way with our collective knowledge of the virus.”

Darrin Skinner is happy to be fully back in business. He said Lake Wylie Bown N’ Bounce opened May 29, but bowling had to remain closed until Friday.

“This is the first time bowling balls are being thrown right here, and it’s nice to hear,” Skinner said.

Just like other businesses, things will look different for bowling alleys.

“We’re only operating every other bowling lane. We’re doing odds today, evens tomorrow and so on and so forth," Skinner said. “Bowling is a passion for a lot of people. So for those people, they’re very excited about it.”

State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said Wednesday she is "more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before.”

In the past two weeks, Bell said South Carolina had posted its highest new daily case counts since the beginning of the pandemic.

The “Response” component of AccelerateSC, with advice and recommendations from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), have developed specific guidelines for how bowling alleys can safely operate.

These guidelines include:

• Bowlers should be spread out on the lanes to ensure that they are 6 feet or more apart. This can be accomplished by either limiting the number of people on one lane at a time and/or having an empty lane in between each active one.
• Request that customers bring their own bowling balls and shoes, if they have them.
• Clean and disinfect bowling balls and shoes between users.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (bathroom doors, sink handles, chairs, etc.) routinely throughout the day.
• Provide hand sanitizer at each lane. Make disinfectant available to customers who want to disinfect their ball and lane.
• Disable video games, jukeboxes, etc. OR clean and disinfect them between each user.

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Additional guidelines for all South Carolina businesses can be found on the AccelerateSC website.

Indoor dining resumes in SC, Gov. McMaster expected to lift more restrictions Indoor dining resumes in SC, Gov. McMaster expected to lift more restrictions

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