COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today issued Executive Order 2020-11, Directing state agency heads to determine which agency employees should be considered essential, and to allow all non-essential state employees work from home.

Additional actions taken by the governor in Executive Order 2020-11:

• Regarding public universities, colleges, and technical colleges: each institution’s president will, at their discretion, determine essential employees and allow non-essential employees to work from home, and in all cases, to allow students to continue coursework online for the semester
• Waived Department of Employment and Workforce regulations to allow unemployment claims to be expedited by at least one week
• Unemployment insurance payments are suspended for employers until June 1st, allowing business owners to have additional capital on hand
• Procurement regulations are temporarily suspended to allow state agencies to rapidly acquire resources to combat the COVID-19 virus
• DHEC will temporarily suspend enforcement of certificate of need regulations necessary to expedite treatment for the virus