After ‘community outcry,’ Hilton Head mayor closes beach access and amenities for coronavirus
Effective Saturday morning, public access points to all Hilton Head Island beaches were closed.
All public beach access, parking lots and amenities will be closed for the next 60 days, Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann told The Island Packet shortly before the start of a news conference Friday afternoon.
McCann said he would close the town’s beach parks in an effort to keep people separated and at home to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“This is in response to community outcry,” McCann said. “This is a matter of safety and of health.”
McCann said he’s received an “overwhelming” number of concerns about the beaches being open, and his decision to close public beaches is to prevent beachgoers from other areas from coming to Hilton Head as a “last resort.”
“Everybody is closing their beaches, and we do not want to have the next wave of people come here,” he said. “If they can’t go to Tybee, they can’t come here.”
Beaufort County also closed access to Alljoy Beach in Bluffton on Saturday.
However, Hilton Head’s public beach closure won’t necessarily affect everyone.
The Town owns access to beaches but not the beaches themselves. Those are under state control.
People who have private beach access through their homes or rentals will still be able to access the beach, McCann confirmed. While the town cannot block private beach access points, McCann encouraged all visitors and residents to stay off the beaches.
Physical barriers were placed at town beach parks Saturday morning, and all beach parking lots were closed.
The town will begin towing Saturday morning, McCann said.
The announcement comes the same day Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies began to disperse people on the beaches and warned the public that deputies would issue tickets for drinking on the beach.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted Friday that he authorized local law enforcement and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to disperse people from the state’s beaches if they were not following his order to not congregate in groups.
Should I still vacation on Hilton Head Island?
The announcement of closed beaches may cause visitors to Hilton Head Island to rethink their travel plans.
Asked whether tourists should still come for their vacations, McCann said he would “absolutely” tell them to come to the island and take advantage of biking trails and the island’s natural beauty apart from the beach.
Town leaders said they wanted to publicize the beach closure before the weekend and before a new wave of travelers made their way to South Carolina.
While it’s a deeply personal decision to choose whether to travel, many have taken to Facebook groups and even The Island Packet to ask whether they should cancel upcoming trips to Hilton Head.
Here are some facts that may help you make your decision:
- Island restaurants and bars have been forced to close dining rooms as of Tuesday afternoon. SERG restaurants are offering discounts for pickup orders.
- Public beaches and parking lots are closed starting March 21.
- Law enforcement and emergency services are active and responding to calls.
- One major hotel has closed as of Friday afternoon: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
- Store shelves are bare in many cases. Many shoppers have reported no eggs, bread, paper products and other staples at Beaufort County stores.
- RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, originally set for April 13-19, has been canceled.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 3:04 PM.
