Gov. Henry McMaster said close-contact service providers, fitness and exercise centers, commercial gyms, and public or commercial pools can open in a limited capacity on Monday, May 18.

Those service providers include barber shops, hair salons, waxing salons, threading salons, nail salons and spas, body-art facilities and tattoo services, tanning salons, massage-therapy establishments and massage services.

Commercial gyms will include group exercise facilities such as yoga studios, barre classes, and others, state officials said.

“With our increased capacity for testing the people of our state, it is time to responsibly and gradually get these small businesses back up and running,” McMaster said. “We have an opportunity to set an example for the rest of the world by reinvigorating our economy while staying safe, but we can only do that if South Carolinians continue to follow the advice and recommendations of our public health experts.”

The governor’s announcement follows nearly three weeks of accelerateSC meetings, in part, to develop operating guidelines that each of these businesses are expected to follow when they choose to open.

accelerateSC, with recommendations from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, developed general guidelines for close contact service providers, along with specific guidelines for cosmetology establishments, gyms and fitness centers, and public or commercial pools.

These guidelines include, but are not limited to:

• Guidance on social distancing within businesses, including recommended capacity requirements
• Additional cleaning and sanitizing guidelines for equipment, tables, chairs, etc.
• Additional guidance on health checks for employees
• Additional guidance on training for employees.