Mount Pleasant Magazine Documenting Covid-19

35 www.CoronavirusMag.com | www.ReadMPM.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com feature other town officials, as well as health care leaders, noted they saw “early on” that Mount Pleasant, because of the high number of commuters living in town and people travelling to and from other areas of the state and region, was potentially a hot spot for the virus. Mount Pleasant’s two ZIP codes had almost 600 combined possible cases of COVID-19 in data released the first week of April, around 25 percent of Charleston County’s outbreak at the time. Officials additionally took action to limit traffic to and from the islands, with a checkpoint put in place on Route 703 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. At the checkpoint, access to Sullivan’s Island was granted only to residents who had a windshield decal and/or presented proof of ownership (deed, tax bill, utility bill, rental lease agreement, etc.); off-island residents with proof of purchase picking up food from island restaurants; delivery services; contractors, general laborers, service vendors, etc. with a current business license and health care providers. Residents of both Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms could continue access through the Isle of Palms connector (Route 517) with a windshield sticker or proof of residence, and Isle of Palms residents maintained access via Route 703. Those who were turned away included off-island residents in a car, on a bicycle or on foot, and off-island residents with a boat in tow seeking to launch from Sullivan’s Island. To limit social gatherings and to discourage off- islanders from seeking access to the islands, beaches on both Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island were closed, and so was the Isle of Palms County Park. The town’s police department was tasked with enforcing the rules and stood post at the Route 703 checkpoint daily for 12 hours. “The kind gestures and words of appreciation by residents passing through the checkpoint on SC-703 are most appreciated by the officers,” said Town Administrator Andy Benke. Even town offices on both islands were closed to the public until further notice. Said Benke, “Staff members have been steadfast in the effort to provide continued service to residents. Non-essential staff members are working from home and have provided almost seamless service from remote locations. First responders and water and sewer staff have remained on the job and continue to interact with and service the public.” Recreation department activities were cancelled. The Isle of Palms City Council voted to enact an emergency ordinance that prohibited new check- ins for hotels, short-term rentals and other overnight accommodations. Mayor Jim Carroll said he had received “a lot” of emails from residents urging the council to limit the amount of people who were coming onto the island. Before making a decision, the council sought the medical advice of Dr. Edward O’Bryan, Emergency Medicine physician at MUSC. O’Bryan is also the Executive Director of MUSC Health Solutions, Chief Medical Officer for MUSC Business Health and the Director of Business for Telemedicine Services for Business Health. The Charleston County School District extended school closures through the end of April at first, then later through the entire academic year, although they community Photo by Juli Kaplan. Photo by Juli Kaplan. Photo by Juli Kaplan.