Yesterday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster mandated the closure of all non-essential businesses in the state. The mandate goes into effect today and will last for 15 days (unless it needs to be changed if the issue worsens, etc.). The Governor said, during his press conference yesterday, that while many other states are listing their essential businesses and what can remain open, he has decided to do the opposite, and list all of our non-essential businesses.

Gov. McMaster says this mandate is different from a ‘stay at home’ order in that they are not ordering people to stay home, but are strongly recommending it, as they have from the beginning.

Meanwhile, at 4 p.m. yesterday, the Greenville City Council was supposed to meet to vote on a possible ‘stay at home’ order, similar to the ones the cities of Columbia and Charleston have already put in place.

Then, the Greenville City Council announced that they were postponing this meeting because Gov. Henry McMaster announced that he was going to hold a press conference to address the state at 4 p.m., which is when he announced the closure or our non-essential businesses.

It looks like for now, we just have a strong recommendation and none of us will be going to get a haircut or our nails done for a while.

So, here's what will be closing:

Entertainment venues and facilities, including:

○ Night clubs
○ Bowling alleys
○ Arcades
○ Concert venues
○ Theaters, auditoriums, and performing arts centers
○ Tourist attractions (including museums, aquariums, and planetariums)
○ Racetracks
○ Indoor children’s play areas (excluding daycare facilities)
○ Adult entertainment venues
○ Bingo halls
○ Venues operated by social clubs

Recreational and athletic facilities and activities, including:

○ Fitness and exercise centers and commercial gyms
○ Spas and public or commercial swimming pools
○ Group exercise facilities, to include yoga, barre, and spin studios or facilities
○ Spectator sports
○ Sports that involve interaction with another person in close proximity and within less than six (6) feet of another person
○ Activities that require the use of shared sporting apparatus and equipment
○ Activities on commercial or public playground equipment

Close-contact service providers, including:
○ Barber shops
○ Hair salons
○ Waxing salons
○ Threading salons
○ Nail salons and spas
○ Body-art facilities and tattoo services
○ Tanning salons
○ Massage-therapy establishments and massage services

Retail stores, including:
○ Furniture and home-furnishings stores
○ Clothing, shoe and clothing-accessory stores
○ Jewelry, luggage, and leather goods stores
○ Department stores, with the exception of hardware and home-improvement stores
○ Sporting goods stores
○ Book, craft, and music stores
○ Flea markets
○ Florists and flower stores