Staff reports | The state is shifting its efforts from containment of COVID-19 to community mitigation to slow the spread of the disease as case numbers set new records in recent weeks the state announced Thursday. It’s not clear why mitigation efforts weren’t an earlier priority.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control on Sunday reported 4,584 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday and 76 COVID-19-related deaths.
In the shift to mitigation, South Carolina residents are being called on to continue taking actions health experts know work, like wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing.
“Until the COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available and enough people are vaccinated, we must all act now or continue to face unprecedented numbers of cases that are overwhelming our hospitals and healthcare systems, as well as taking the lives of those we love,” said DHEC Interim Public Health Director Brannon Traxler. “To do that, every one of us must recommit to the fight. We are all on the frontlines. If we don’t act now, we could face many dark months ahead.”
The move from disease containment, in which the effort is made to control the spread of disease, to a disease mitigation phase occurs when cases of disease are widespread and difficult to investigate one by one.
Also last week, the state expanded the range of people who are qualified to administer COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to quicken the speed of distribution.
The state is currently still in Phase 1a of vaccine distribution, limiting vaccines strictly to medical workers, long-term care patients and people aged 70+, but DHEC and the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation have expanded the list of medical professionals permitted to administer vaccines. A proactive move, the decision is intended to prepare the state for widespread vaccination distribution when more doses become available.
In other recent news:
Slam dunk for food bank. NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s November 2020 donation of $2 million to Feeding America will benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank. It will get an undisclosed portion of the donation to support highest-need communities, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in hunger in food insecurity. Jordan’s gift was made in support of food banks in the Carolinas and Chicago. From March 2020 toNovember 2020, the food bank distributed more than 12 million pounds of COVID-19 disaster relief food.
Sony gives $1.7 million to museum. Sony Corporation of America (SCA), on behalf of Sony Corporation and its U.S. affiliates, last week donated $1.7 million to the International African American Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2022 at the former Gadsden’s Wharf . “Thanks to Sony, the International African American Museum will be a showcase for a new generation of visitor experiences,” said IAAM Chief Operating Officer Elijah Heyward III.
Ports has strong December. The S.C. Ports Authority had its strongest December on record as it handled 209,606 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals, the agency said. That’s up 11.6 percent year-over-year. SC Ports has handled more than 1.2 million TEUs thus far in fiscal year 2021, which began July 1. “The pandemic created unprecedented challenges to supply chains around the world,” SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said. “I am immensely proud of our port employees and all those working in the maritime and logistics community for showing up every day during a pandemic to keep supply chains fluid. Their dedication ensures that food products, medical supplies, manufacturing parts and retail goods are efficiently delivered.”
Lawmakers still stuck on Santee Cooper. It’s been four years since the public learned that state agency Santee Cooper, SCE&G and parent company SCANA bungled a $9 billion nuclear reactor project and left the state with a $4 billion problem. Efforts by lawmakers to hold Santee Cooper accountable so far have failed, as writer Stephanie Barna explains in this story in Statehouse Report. After spending $14 million to develop alternatives for Santee Cooper, dissatisfied lawmakers scrapped the effort and are working on their own solutions.
Biden taps Harrison to lead national Democratic Party. President-elect Joe Biden picked South Carolina’s Jaime Harrison to lead the Democratic National Committee just two months after he lost a high-profile U.S. Senate election that catapulted him onto the national scene. More: The New York Times.
S.C. Legislature to take days off amid pandemic, security fears. The S.C. House and S.C. Senate will take off next week, including Wednesday’s inauguration day after the FBI warned state governments of planned protests. The Senate will next meet Jan. 21, with the House’s next full session set for five days later. More: AP News
S.C.’s Haley sets sights on 2024 presidential. Former S.C. Gov. and Trump administration official Nikki Haley, now a Kiawah Island resident, has started a political action committee in an attempt to help Republicans retake the House and Senate in 2022, and bolster her brand ahead of an anticipated 2024 run for president. More: The Post and Courier
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