Towns to ask governor for coronavirus stay-in-place order. Beaufort County declines
This story has been updated.
Beaufort County Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting Thursday to vote on a resolution that asks South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to issue a statewide stay-at-home order. But Wednesday afternoon, the resolution did not have support from all members, and the meeting was canceled, county administrator Ashley Jacobs confirmed Wednesday.
The Town of Bluffton, City of Beaufort, Town of Hilton Head Island and Town of Port Royal are still expected to sign resolutions Thursday, Jacobs said. The county’s canceled meeting was tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday — three hours before Hilton Head is scheduled to pass its own resolution.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hilton Head Island Town Council published the agenda for its emergency meeting, which includes a resolution asking McMaster to issue a mandatory stay-at-home order for as long as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control determines is necessary.
On multiple occasions, McMaster and his office have said that he is not considering ordering South Carolinians to stay inside their homes because of coronavirus. That leaves local municipalities to make big decisions on how to protect their citizens.
While local officials in other municipalities like Charleston, Columbia and Greenville have taken action without guidance from the governor or state, leaders across Beaufort County have been hesitant.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 6:10 PM.
