RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Close contact businesses like barber shops, hair salons, and nail salons remain closed in South Carolina by order of the governor as the state continues to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.
That hasn't stopped some from opening.
On Wednesday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. Sheriff Lott said his deputies responded to a call about a nail salon still operating.
"The front door was locked, but the back door was open and inside was 25 people that were in there and that shouldn't of been in there," Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said.
Lott said they ticketed the owner of A.m Nail Salon, located at 10223 Two Notch Road in Columbia, and closed it down.
"It's very serious, that is how people will die," Lott said.
Lott said this is the first business they have had to ticket and shut down. Over the past few weeks, he said a number of bars tried to open, but deputies issued them warnings and they stayed closed.
"It's not just us keeping an eye out, out here, it's the citizens out here. People out here are watching and they are making sure that if somebody is operating illegally, they are going to tell on them," Lott said. "And other businesses, too, that are following the rules. They are following the rules, and they don't want somebody violating the rules because they know that's going to hurt them and it's going to take it longer for the governor to open those types of businesses back up."
Across the Midlands, a majority of law enforcement agencies said they haven't had many issues.
A Columbia Police Department spokesperson said in early March and April they had a few problems. A hair salon, craft store and bar tried to remain open.
In Lexington County, the Sheriff's Department said they have had no issues, and the Lexington Police Department said they have not issued any citations.
In Kershaw County, Sheriff Lee Boan said a nail salon also tried to open, but they explained to the owners that they couldn't, and they haven't had any issues since.
In Camden, Sumter and Orangeburg, no citations have been issued either.
In Newberry County, Sheriff Lee Foster said they had one complaint about a restaurant bar being open, but the business cooperated.
Sheriff Lott said the customers inside the nail salon were not ticketed, but he has a message to patrons who try to go into businesses that aren't allowed to be open.
"We just consider them stupid, you know, for taking a chance on their safety and their health and also their family and friends," Lott said. "That's how this virus spreads."
News 19 did reach out to the owner of A.m Nail Salon for a statement. He declined to comment at this time.