By Candace Taylor

When Covid-19 struck New York City in March, Jessica and Matthew Perkal were among the many Manhattan residents who decided to wait out the pandemic in a more rural setting. Ms. Perkal, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, and her husband left their West Village apartment for Kiawah, a South Carolina barrier island where they had frequently vacationed with Ms. Perkal’s family. “We thought, ‘let’s go somewhere we enjoy,’” said Ms. Perkal, who is originally from Charlotte, N.C.