Have you longed to get back to bowling?

Then you'll like what Gov. Henry McMaster just did.

He issued a new executive order today that lifts restrictions on retail store occupany and allows bowling alleys to open immediately.

“South Carolinians know what they can do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” McMaster said/

"It’s incumbent on each and every one of us to follow the advice and recommendations of the public health experts.

“We also must continue our methodical approach towards getting South Carolinians back to work and businesses contributing to the state’s economy. Businesses simply can’t be closed indefinitely, but they can operate in a safe way with our collective knowledge of the virus.”

This order comes a day after the state's single-day record of 687 new cases of covid-19 and 13 additional deaths.

As of Thursday, South Carolina has reported 16,441 cases of the virus and 588 deaths.

Dr. Joan Duwve, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s director of public health, said 40% of S.C.’s reported cases have been diagnosed in the past 3 weeks.

Stepped up testing has found more unreported positive cases.

The Response Committee of economic task force AccelerateSC, with advice from DHEC, developed guidelines for bowling alley operation, including social distancing of 6 feet or more and providing hand sanitizer at each lane.

McMaster's executive order also declared a new state of emergency.

It authorized measures to deal with the pandemic, including a section allowing “law enforcement officers of the state, or any political subdivision to do whatever may be deemed necessary to maintain peace and good order during the state of emergency and to enforce the provisions of this order and any prior or future orders issued by the undersigned in connection with the present state of emergency.”