City opened beaches at noon this past Tuesday

“Effective on Tuesday, April 21, at 12 p.m., North Myrtle Beach Opens “Public Beach Crossovers and Accesses, Shower and Bathroom Amenities, and Adjacent Parking Lots”.

 This became effective on Tuesday, April 21, at 12 p.m. Gov. Henry McMaster cancelled his March 30 order that closed public beach accesses and adjacent public parking, returning authority for those areas to local governments.

During their April 20, 7 p.m. meeting, the North Myrtle Beach City Council passed a resolution opening “public beach crossovers and accesses, shower and bathroom amenities therein and adjacent parking lots”, effective April 21, 2020, at 12 noon.

The city continues to require beachgoers to practice social distancing; prohibits crowds or gatherings of three or more persons, except for family units; and prohibits partying and team games (volleyball, etc.).

“We are opening up our public beach accesses, associated amenities and adjacent parking lots so that people can enjoy some much needed sun and recreation along our nine miles of beach,” said North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley. “This will work if beachgoers  are responsible and caring of the next person as they enjoy the beach.

“We are not out of the woods yet in terms of COVID-19 but as our community has shown in the past before this virus arrived, each one of us is capable of monitoring our own behavior, and this is a positive move in the right direction.”

Beach Patrol Officers will be on hand along the beach. The city’s prohibition on short-term and long-term rentals remains in effect through April 30.

Governor McMaster also allowed these stores to reopen: Furniture stores, home furnishing stores, clothing stores, shoe and clothing accessory stores, jewelry stores, luggage and leather goods stores, department stores, florists, sporting goods stores, book stores and craft and music stores.