For some South Carolinians, being able to access public beaches again was one of the most highly-anticipated aspects of reopening the state. We sat down with reporters Chloe Johnson and Mikaela Porter to talk about how coastal communities enforced beach access rules, what restrictions still remain and why beach reopenings nearly led to a Charleston-area legal battle.
In late March, when it seemed like nearly everything had closed, South Carolinians continued to come to the beach. It felt like one of the last things to do, and especially for people who live a quick walk or drive from the ocean, a day at the beach was the answer to their cabin fever.
But, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state grew, so did the concerns about people congregating on coastline. In the Charleston area, Folly Beach, Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island established checkpoints that only allowed residents onto their islands.
On March 30, Gov. Henry McMaster made the call to close all public beach access points in the state.
That order was lifted a few weeks ago, on April 20, but some sections of the state's coastline are just reopening this week. Island communities in the Charleston area decided to ease up their restrictions more gradually.
This upcoming weekend will be the first one since closures began that Folly Beach, Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island will not have checkpoints in place.
We sat down with reporters Chloe Johnson and Mikaela Porter to talk about how coastal communities enforced beach access rules, what restrictions still remain and why beach reopenings nearly led to a Charleston-area legal battle.