Social distancing is the norm as long as we need to save lives, Columbia mayor says
The City of Columbia’s stay at home ordinance went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, and Mayor Steve Benjamin was happy with the way residents initially responded.
“Fifteen hours in, things are going very well,” Benjamin told The State. “The citizens are being very considerate of each other. I look forward to trying to make social distancing the new norm for as long as we need.”
That will be the norm in Columbia for at least the next two weeks — limiting trips outside the home to essentials and staying in groupings of ones and twos.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said late Sunday afternoon that the approximately 50 officers he had patrolling city streets Sunday found most people obeying the ordinance, but here and there small groups were outside that — because of their numbers — were not in compliance.
But, said Holbrook, after officers explained, people broke up. No one was arrested.
“Yesterday and Sunday were both beautiful days, and we had to send officers to parks — not to disperse people out of the parks, but to recommend social distancing and remind people that groups of more than 3 or more were prohibited. We also worked with the Parks and Recreation Department to have some additional signage encouraging responsible behavior.”
Holbrook said these were some areas where officers went and successfully got groups of people to disperse:
▪ Owens Field Park and Finlay Park
▪ Private property outside Five Points on Heyward Street where students were playing volleyball and basketball
▪ The Hub apartment building on Main Street
One interesting development — police are getting calls from citizens to report gatherings, Holbrook said.
“The citizens have to be our eyes and ears, and that’s what we want,” the chief said.
A reporter who drove around Columbia Sunday afternoon found it eerily empty. Five Points, one of the area’s most bustling areas, normally full of pedestrians, dog-walkers, cyclists and people sipping iced tea and coffee outside the Gourmet Shop and Drip’s, was nearly deserted. In 15 minutes, only one bicyclist zoomed by, along with random pedestrians marveling at the apocalyptic emptiness.
At sprawling Owens Field Park, a handful of skateboarders practiced their potential bone-breaking feats at the city’s custom-designed skateboard park. Nearby, numerous soccer fields were equally deserted. But here and there, amid the vasty green, a few people out for a walk, bicyclists, scattered families holding hands and small batches of people playing Frisbee golf
Over 14 days, Columbia’s residents are required to stay home, with limited exceptions, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus as the number of cases of COVID-19 rises on a daily basis across South Carolina.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is encouraging people to practice social distancing to help stop the spread of the virus. Social distancing is staying away from unnecessary interactions with sick people and from large groups of people; it also calls for remaining at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go out.
Benjamin and the rest of the Columbia City Council approved the stay at home ordinance on March 26.
As its name states, it requires residents to stay at home and avoid public streets, sidewalks and other public places, as well as businesses, unless they are conducting an “essential service.”
Some of the primary reasons residents are allowed to leave their house is for groceries, gas and medical services and can go to banks, laundromats and restaurants for take-out; they will also be able to go outside for walks, go to work outside the city and to carry out an essential service.
However, residents will not be able to go to gyms, nail salons or barber shop — nor will they be able to buy guns or have private gatherings of three or more people.
The order will be revisited at the end of two weeks.
“We’re facing a public health threat unlike anything we’ve seen in at least a century. This is the opportunity we need to take advantage of, to slow the spread before it overwhelms our resources,” Benjamin said. “We’re going to try to flatten the curve and return to a sense of normalcy as soon as we can.
“But we’re going to follow the data,” Benjamin said on potentially extending the ordinance.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
On the first day the ordinance was in effect, the Columbia’s Police Department said there weren’t many problems.
“ColumbiaPDSC officers have not experienced major issues concerning compliance” said a post on the department’s Twitter page. “Enforcement involves verbal warnings & discretion combined with impartial policing and compassion.”
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who heads up one of the largest law enforcement agencies in South Carolina, told The State that his deputies are patrolling the county and most people are obeying the law, spending time with families and not congregating in groups.
“The only people who aren’t are the criminals — they aren’t going to be changing their ways and being any different from what because of the coronavirus,” said Lott.
The sheriff has assigned dozens of School Resource Officers, out of school because of the South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s emergency order, to street duty now that they aren’t in school.
Mostly, Lott said, “People are taking this seriously. Most people are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
On Sunday, 113 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in South Carolina, bringing the statewide total to 774 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 40 counties, according to DHEC.
DHEC also announced that another person died after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising that total to 16 in less than a month. State health officials described all 16 as elderly, and all but one had underlying medical conditions.
Of those positive tests, 97 cases have been confirmed in Richland County, where two patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have died, according to DHEC.
DHEC expects more than 8,053 cases of coronavirus in South Carolina by May 2, according to forecast numbers released Wednesday. There will likely be more than 2,600 cases by April 2.
Columbia’s stay at home move was met with pushback from the state Attorney General’s Office, which released an opinion saying cities and counties in South Carolina have limited powers during states of emergency.
The opinion raised questions about the legality of recent stay at home orders issued by Columbia and Charleston.
“If the Attorney General decides he wants to challenge the law ... we’ll plan to meet him in the court and let the Supreme Court decide exactly what the law is,” Benjamin said Saturday. “I am incredibly confident that we will win. In the meantime we’ll be saving lives, which is our goal.”
On Sunday, he reinforced his motivation for issuing the stay at home order.
“Because the governor has not issued a statewide stay at home ordinance, it doesn’t diminish our responsibility to act and lead from the front,” Benjamin said. “We need to take advantage of this time with family to stop the spread and save lives.”
The mayor also said a side effect of the stay at home order will be improving the economy.
While businesses are feeling the crunch of coronavirus concerns, Benjamin said the sooner COVID-19’s spread is limited and people are healthy, the sooner they will be working, shopping, buying meals and more.
“This move will shorten the economic destruction ... and get us back to economic norms,” Benjamin said.
Symptoms of coronavirus can include a fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. Among the emergency warning signs of COVID-19 is trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, and blueish lips or face, the CDC said.
The best way to prevent infection is to frequently wash hands for 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid contact with sick people and clean frequently touched objects with a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the CDC. DHEC also recommends covering your cough, staying home when sick, and disposing tissues and other items that you’ve sneezed or coughed into.
“Lets do this together. If we do, we’ll save lives,” Benjamin said. “We’ll get through this.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 5:55 PM.
