What Governor McMaster’s Home or Work order means to your business

by | Apr 9, 2020 | Blog, Coronavirus, Government Affairs/Advocacy, Home Builders Association of South Carolina, National Association of Home Builders, Top Stories | 0 comments

Yesterday’s “Home or Work Order” from Governor McMaster provided a great deal of clarity on what constitutes an essential business or service during the state of emergency. It also is an example of the work that your Home Builders Association has been doing to insure that the housing industry is designated essential and ready to meet the needs of our community.

The order declares that all citizens stay home unless they are at work or traveling to work at a business that is essential. It also provides these exceptions:

  1. Caring for or visiting a family member (including travel).
  2. Obtaining necessary supplies and services for your family.
  3. Seeking medical care.
  4. Caring for pets (walking the dog is essential).
  5. Exercising and recreating outdoors (turkey hunting is essential).
  6. Attending religious services.
  7. Traveling as required by law (going to court is essential).

Violators are subject to a $100 fine, or 30 days in jail, per violation. Each day is a separate violation.

The order not only provides clarity for businesses that have been deemed nonessential, but critical to Home Builders and Remodelers, it clarifies what is deemed essential. Section 1, F, 2 of the Governor’s order states that businesses and services that have been deemed essential in the March 28 guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security are also essential in South Carolina. These sectors are deemed essential:

  1. Local and state government
  2. Healthcare
  3. Infrastructure like airlines, trucking, utilities, and telecommunications
  4. Manufacturing
  5. Retail like appliances, gas stations and convenience stores, grocery stores, and hardware and building material stores and suppliers
  6. Food and Agriculture
  7. Services including legal, accounting, and real estate
  8. Food banks and homeless shelters
  9. Construction and related businesses including engineering, planning, suppliers, and skilled trades
  10. Safety and sanitation services
  11. Logistics, technology, childcare, and other services essential to continuing operation of government
  12. Defense and law enforcement

Download the Governor’s Home or Work order is here.

Download Homeland Security’s essential services guidance is here.