MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Myrtle Beach is reopening hotels and short term rental properties starting Friday, although there will be many rules in place along with that decision.
The Myrtle Beach city council approved an executive order Thursday allowing for a relaxation of rules that had been in place for about three weeks. Earlier this week, the city reopened public beaches.
The hotels and rentals can honor existing reservations made between now and May 15, but cannot take new reservations for that time period. This is referred to in the order as a "soft opening" period. New reservations can be accepted for dates starting May 16 and beyond, which would include the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
This order does include the reopening of campgrounds and Airbnb homes.
All accommodations also must adhere to stricter cleaning guidelines and social distancing guidelines and hygiene rules for guests and staff. Elevators, for example, will only be allowed to carry one person at a time unless multiple occupants are part of the same party or family.
Facemasks are encouraged for staff when they're working and guests when they're using the elevator.
Restaurants will not be allowed to have dine-in service, and pools will be closed until the governor issues and order allowing those areas to reopen.
The hotels and rental places also will have restrictions on accepting visitors from coronavirus hotspots such as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Finally, the city council approved the creation of a coronavirus recovery task force that will meet to open up other parts of the state.