All Beaufort County governments declare states of emergency over coronavirus
All local governments in Beaufort County have declared a public health state of emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Town of Bluffton, City of Beaufort, Town of Hilton Head Island, Town of Port Royal and Beaufort County governments all signed emergency declarations — a designation that allows them to apply for federal reimbursement and shrinks the bureaucracy by giving leaders the authority to make unilateral decisions regarding town and county operations.
Neighboring Jasper County and the City of Hardeeville followed suit Monday evening.
The declarations come after Gov. Henry McMaster called for a state of emergency Friday as the number of statewide coronavirus cases increased.
As of Monday, three people in Beaufort County have tested positive for the virus, according to state officials.
Two of Beaufort County’s patients had been exposed to a confirmed case from another state, the release says. The other person recently traveled internationally and has no known connection to the other two cases.
DHEC did not answer questions regarding identifying information such as age and location of the cases.
Here’s what the declarations of emergency mean:
Beaufort County
The county’s declaration of emergency gives County Administrator Ashley Jacobs the power to implement an emergency operations plan in response to the virus.
The county’s plan will remain in effect until May 15 or until “emergency conditions associated with COVID-19 have subsided,” according to the ordinance.
The council unanimously approved the declaration Monday.
Jacobs was authorized to:
- Utilize all available county and municipal government resources.
- Transfer the direction, personnel or functions of county departments and agencies or units to perform emergency services.
- Contract and compensate for goods and services from private sources.
- Prescribe routes, modes of transportation and destinations in connection with evacuations or relocation.
- Suspend or limit non-emergency activities and prohibit public assemblies.
- Any and all other actions deemed necessary.
All Beaufort County schools are closed, and the county announced several department and facility closings through March 31:
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department (Beaufort and Bluffton locations)
- Animal Shelter (no adoption or visiting)
- Assessor’s Office (all locations)
- Business License Department (all locations)
- Disabilities and Special Needs Department (all non-residential programming)
- Library branches and bookmobile services
- Parks and Recreation facilities and pools
- Records Management Department
- Register of Deeds’ public deed room
Bluffton
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka said in a news release that the town will remain open with reduced staff and functions.
The town customer service center will be minimally staffed for intake of permit applications and payments only, the release said.
“We ask citizens to proactively limit interactions with Town staff as much as possible and to do as much business as possible with the Town online or via telephone,” the release said.
All of Bluffton’s public meetings are canceled except Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, and Bluffton Municipal Court is closed. In the interest of public health, the town encouraged the public to watch the Town Council meeting via Facebook live. and submit public comments to the Town Clerk Kim Chapman at kchapman@townofbluffton.com.
Town parks will remain open, and town staff are deep cleaning and sanitizing all park public restrooms and town facilities, the release said.
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann told The Island Packet Monday he’d signed the declaration of a state of emergency, which gives the town the ability to track its expenses related to coronavirus in hopes of being reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Town Council will vote to approve the declaration Tuesday at its 4 p.m. meeting, although it is already in place.
The Town of Hilton Head Island has canceled all committee meetings, but will still hold its Tuesday afternoon Town Council meeting at 4 p.m. at town hall, according to McCann.
Town staff is still working, but residents are encouraged to use the town’s website as much as possible for freedom of information act requests, business license information and other town services.
Town facilities such as parks and beaches are still open.
Port Royal and the City of Beaufort
The Town of Port Royal has postponed all court-related activities that were scheduled for this week.
The City of Beaufort has canceled all meetings with the exception of council meetings, which the public is encouraged to watch via Facebook Live rather than attend.
All parks in Beaufort are open for “passive recreation.”
The Municipal Court office is open during normal business hours, but any municipal cases through March 26 have been postponed.
Jasper County
On Monday evening, Jasper County officials announced it had also declared a local state of emergency “out of an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of our residents,” according to a news release.
All county offices, including courts, will be closed indefinitely beginning March 17. County staff can still be reached by phone and email, said the release.
The Jasper County voter registration office and transfer stations will remain open.
Visitation to inmates at the Jasper County Detention Center has been suspended.
City of Hardeeville
The City of Hardeeville implemented a “COVID-19 operations plan” on Monday at 5 p.m., also declaring a local state of emergency, according to a news release.
Many city offices will remain open, said the release. But staff will rely on electronic means of communication to conduct most business.
Currently scheduled City Council meetings will go on as scheduled, but officials are encouraging residents to watch from home.
The Hardeeville Municipal Court is postponing most events but is still able to accept filings and payments. Officials are asking that residents call the court at 843-784-3366 for assistance.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
