Mayor Benjamin Declares Local State of Emergency

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin declared a local state of emergency Monday evening in an effort to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. City Council is expected to approve at its 2 p.m. meeting Tuesday. So what exactly does that mean?

1. All city businesses are required to reduce their legal capacity by 50%

2.Local restaurants must limit 6 patrons to each restaurant table

3.Restaurants are required to have all tables 6 feet apart

4.Patrons are asked to use drive thrus and take out

Curfews for city residents are also possible later on, Benjamin said Monday evening.

Quote from Mayor Steve Benjamin:“This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, unlike anything this country has seen in 100 years,” he said.

The move came hours after South Carolina experienced its first death due to COVID-19, a Lexington County nursing home resident. More than 4,400 people in the nation have been infected with the virus as of Monday, leading to more than 80 deaths. South Carolina health officials in a nine-day span have gone from no corona virus cases to at least 33, most of which are in counties neighboring Richland County.

“We’d be foolish to assume there are no corona virus cases in Richland County,” he said. “We need to operate in our daily lives as if we’re all in grave danger.”