Following Gov. Henry McMaster’s order allowing law enforcement to disperse groups of three or more people to slow the spread of COVID-19, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis released a statement that says: “Greenville County Deputies are not proactively searching for individuals and/or groups of people gathering together for the purpose of a criminal charge.” Lewis said, “This directive is concentrated towards individuals who might pose a health risk and are purposely disregarding the dangers of COVID-19 and the preventative measures taken by our State to prevent further spreading of the virus.”
In the statement, Lewis said the governor’s directive was aimed at people disregarding the dangers of the pandemic who “might pose a health risk.”
“I simply ask our community to use common sense when it comes to maintaining their health and safety by listening to suggested hygiene practices and other social distancing preventatives given by our state and national leaders,” Lewis wrote in the statement.
McMaster issued the executive order Monday in response to requests from law enforcement on how to handle large groups that have been gathering on beaches, sandbars and parking lots as coronavirus cases increase each day.
