Lexington County activates emergency managers due to coronavirus

Lexington County has moved from normal daily operations to “partial activation” of its emergency operations center as the novel coronavirus spreads in South Carolina.

Under OPCON-2, as the “enhanced awareness” state is called, emergency management staff are “actively monitoring the situation, actively monitoring resource requests,” county spokesperson Harrison Cahill said.

County leaders decided to change the operational condition “due to the impacts the coronavirus is having on the community’s residents, businesses and visitors,” according to a news release. The number of coronavirus cases shot up to 298 on Monday, the largest single-day increase in South Carolina since the start of the pandemic. There are 17 confirmed positive cases in Lexington County as of Monday afternooon, according to DHEC.

Operations are split into three levels: the highest being normal, day-to-day operations and the lowest being a full-blown emergency response.

All county buildings are still closed.

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 5:33 PM.