COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia City Council is expected to consider a stay-at-home order to stop the spread of the coronavirus order when they meet Thursday.
The items is on the agenda for a teleconference meeting of the panel.
While exact details of the proposal are under discussion, a stay at home order would likely mean anyone conducting non-essential work would be required to stay home. It would also limit travel for residents to going to work or picking up supplies.
On Tuesday, Charleston became the first major jurisdiction in the state to issue a stay-at-home order and it went into effect Wednesday. A source told News19 the Columbia measure is likely to be very similar to that order.
The Charleston version was only set to last 14 days.
Businesses such as gyms and beauty salons would likely be considered non-essential, based on similar measures passed in other parts of the country. State and local governments across the nation have been issuing these measures in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
Columbia had already implemented a citywide night curfew last week from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. that restricted all travel in that time frame to essential only.
So far, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has not issued a statewide order to stay at home. On Monday, he said it wasn't being considered, but all options were on the table.