Because South Carolina is one of just a handful of states in the U.S. without statewide stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak, residents still technically have the right to roam freely to the few places that are open like Lowe’s — even though experts and leaders have warned against it.

Across the state of South Carolina, people have been posting photos of crowded Lowe’s parking lots and stores looking like Black Friday.

Lowe’s and other hardware stores have made it past two rounds of “non-essential” business shutdowns ordered by Gov. Henry McMaster in the last week, so stores across the state remain open.

Lowe’s is currently advertising a big spring sale with major discounts for the next two weeks, the Post and Courier reported. Though Lowe’s recently implemented a few new measures safety measures starting Thursday, photos from the weekend still show packed parking lots and people not practicing social distancing at Lowe’s stores across South Carolina.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the upcoming days are crucial for practicing social distancing.

“The next two weeks are extraordinarily important,” Birx said. “This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe, and that means everybody doing the six feet distancing, washing your hands.”

McMaster has said over and over he has a lot of faith in the people of South Carolina — that he believes they will do what they’re told in order to keep each other safe.

These photos and tweets (most of them directed at McMaster himself) show the opposite.

Greenville:

Greenwood:

@henrymcmaster PLEASE issue a stay a home order for S.C.! What’s it gonna take governor? This is the Lowes in Greenwood and it’s EVERY SINGLE DAY. They’re putting us all at risk. pic.twitter.com/nne9CrLbGk — tamin1014 (@tamin1014) April 4, 2020

Simpsonville:

Lowe’s parking lot in Simpsonville.. this is getting out of hand for people aren’t listening pic.twitter.com/VIPf7axB0T — shandra morton (@Snubbie76) March 30, 2020

North Charleston:

Hey @Lowes in North Charleston, SC – in NO way are people practicing social distancing in or around your store. @NorthCharleston @SummervilleSC pic.twitter.com/TFDfuM9mQl — Hey Hey, it's Ray Ray (@theraybergman) March 28, 2020

Bluffton (Shown Above):

Bluffton Lowe’s on Saturday

All over:

@MarvinREllison @henrymcmaster why is the garden center still open #lowes?? This is not essential items needed. Employees are having to risk their health for this? #COVID19Pandemic #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/Cy7eE6yqaa — Savannah Sanders ? (@SavannahCSander) April 3, 2020

@henrymcmaster

Is this the social distancing you are enforcing? When are you going to do something!!!! pic.twitter.com/DcQaQ4pfHA — R (@Ladyfalcon15) March 31, 2020

And here’s the result. Lowes, Home Depot, and gun stores in South Carolina were packed Saturday afternoon with people ignoring the stay home instructions of the experts. We felt unsafe taking this picture from a great distance. https://t.co/5AwD2WcOaW pic.twitter.com/iruQAh6Br9 — Dave ? (@daveseward0953) April 5, 2020

@henrymcmaster #lowes is not social distancing. Every day the are packed and employees are worried about their health. They are not in their shopping for essentials, they are shopping for plants and things like that. Please help out the employees. #COVID19 #SouthCarolina pic.twitter.com/cgpMiyBnQN — Savannah Sanders ? (@SavannahCSander) April 2, 2020

Our children haven’t been able to go to school and I have been “working remotely” since March 16th, yet thousands of people in this state can overrun Lowe’s and Home Depot to beautify their yards? Stop the piecemeal approach that’s dragging this out. pic.twitter.com/fd8HWFhS3P — C.K. Powell (@CKPowell15) April 4, 2020

@henrymcmaster Does this look like Social distancing to you? People are out here shopping like is a vacation or something. It puts your constituents in harm's way, and ensuring this virus keeps spreading. Please I'm begging you to issue a mandatory shelter in place order! pic.twitter.com/4DsaillXov — Jeanne Lurvey (@JeanneLurvey) April 1, 2020

Governor, this is the parking lot at @lowes on two notch this morning. I urge you to shut everything down you can. Hundreds of people here at thia store on a Sunday morning because its one of the few places open. pic.twitter.com/kVW4Z2NSE4 — M L G (@mlancegrantham) April 5, 2020

There are a lot of written testimonies of this too.

@henrymcmaster refuses to shut our state down and save lives. The beaches are open, shopping centers are open. @Lowes is packed and bragging about record sales. @LindseyGrahamSC and @votetimscott are doing nothing. #southcarolina had NO leadership. People are dying. #Covid_19 https://t.co/xfdKGK9OP3 — Kristi walker (@KristiWalker96) March 29, 2020

I went into a Lowes in @NorthCharleston on Saturday and I bet there were 100 people in the store. The drip-drip politics and decisions coming from Columbia will kill innocent citizens of South Carolina. Why is SC always the laughing stock of the country? #coronavirus — Mike Bills (@djmikebills) April 1, 2020

@Lowes don't get too greedy baroness virus ,yesterday in Indian Land South Carolina that had to be over 200 people in the store at the same time at some point you guys going to have to limit customers , intake more safety measures , a long-time customer #coronavirus thanks — Alan lawrence (@PeanLaw) March 31, 2020

@henrymcmaster People out here at Walmart and Lowes acting like they trying to get Corona. Shut ? it?down? #Coronavirus #SouthCarolina — Bryce (@bebobryce) April 3, 2020

People in South Carolina have also tweeted at Lowe’s and Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison. On Thursday, the company says it developed an app to monitor foot traffic in each store and limit a certain number of people from entering.

@Lowes begin restricting number of people in your stores! #SouthCarolina @Lowes were PACKED and our gov. @henrymcmaster isn't doing his job. Don't contribute to SC deaths. — jevansmpa (@jevansmpa) April 4, 2020

YOU NEED TO PLEASE ENFORCE THE 6 FT AWAY RULE AT LOWES. I AM A CASHIER AT LOWE'S IN SOUTH CAROLINA. EVEN THOUGH THE MARKERS ARE THERE, CUSTOMERS ARE NOT OBEYING THEM. LAST FRIDAY NIGHT,WE HAD ALL CASHIERS CALL OUT SICK SO I WAS ON SELF CHECKOUT AND THE ONLY CASHIER. — Robin Thornley (@RobinThornley2) March 31, 2020

While McMaster has urged police departments to disperse groups of three or more people across the state, there is little evidence that plan is working (as shown in photos).

According to realtime data provided by Unacast — a company that purchases data from cell phone companies — South Carolinians are not reducing their travel like they should. Unacast gave SC a “D” for its 25 – 40 percent decrease in average mobility and a less than 55 percent decrease in in “non-essential” trips between Feb. 24 and April 1.

We know that this virus is spread by close contact. These people in large groups are endangering themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. The more large crowds we see, the more cases will increase, the more families will suffer.

South Carolina is the only state east of the Mississippi without a statewide stay-at-home order.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) reported another sizable surge in coronavirus cases on Sunday with 132 new cases and four deaths in the global pandemic.

South Carolina now has 2,049 total COVID-19 cases and 44 deaths, officials said Sunday.

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