Hilton Head mayor asks visitors to self-quarantine voluntarily as coronavirus spreads
Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann, who has urged visitors to come to the island during the coronavirus pandemic, now is asking them not to come.
During a teleconference call Wednesday with some of the county’s elected leaders, McCann said he wants potential visitors to “re-evaluate” their plans.
If tourists ignore his request and visit the island, McCann is asking them to “volunteer” to quarantine for two weeks.
The mayor’s request comes as officials in larger South Carolina cities such as Charleston, Columbia and Greenville have enacted curfews, restaurant restrictions or mandatory “stay at home” orders to ensure public safety.
Beaufort County ranks fifth, with 22 of the state’s 342 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Across the county and on Hilton Head, shoppers still crowd stores, buying groceries, home renovation supplies and items from big-box stores. Over the weekend, people swarmed local beaches and sandbars in Bluffton and Beaufort.
During the teleconference call, which was sponsored by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, McCann said his daughter had planned to visit from New York, but decided against it.
“Please don’t invite friends and family to come stay with you,” he said. “This is a very, very serious time.”
On Thursday, Hilton Head Island Town Council is holding an emergency meeting where council members will consider asking Gov. Henry McMaster to order all South Carolina residents to stay at home.
Hesitancy and inaction
In Beaufort County, local leaders are hesitant and uncertain about what they can do.
On Wednesday, Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka said mayors in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hardeeville, Hilton Head, Port Royal and Yemassee have discussed a regional plan to stop the spread of the virus.
However, the only resulting action was a joint statement issued Tuesday night from the mayors and Beaufort County Council Chairman Joe Passiment that asks residents to social distance, wash their hands, stay at home and stop going to the beach.
“We are asking for all local residents to create a culture of infection control and lead by example,” the statement said. “This is a social and behavioral health issue. Every person needs to make short-term concessions to prevent the Coronavirus pandemic from exponentially spreading and causing more harm to our community and overwhelming our local healthcare systems.”
On Thursday, Hilton Head Island Town Council is holding an emergency meeting where council members will discuss “calling upon Governor Henry McMaster to issue a mandatory Stay at Home Order for the State of South Carolina for such period of time as may be deemed necessary and appropriate by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.”
Airports
During Wednesday’s call, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport Commission Executive Director Greg Kelly and Hilton Head Island Airport Director Jon Rembold said both airports are still open for business.
About 50 percent of flights are being canceled at the Savannah airport, and passenger counts are down 75 to 80 percent, Kelly said.
Rembold said those who are flying should check with the airline because of flight cancellations.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 12:24 PM.
