Ahead of possible coronavirus cases, Columbia-area leaders coordinate preparation
Now is not the time for panic, but the time for preparation, Columbia-area leaders stressed Friday as they met to plan for possible cases of coronavirus locally.
“We’re all learning so much as we move forward in dealing with coronavirus, so the more that we’re able to operate outside of our silos, we’re able to share best practices,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said following the roundtable task force meeting. “We’re talking about a very serious virus ... so we have to treat it with the gravity it requires but also with the ease and calm that allows us to communicate.”
The Midlands Coronavirus Task Force brought together leaders from across Richland and Lexington counties, Fort Jackson, schools and colleges, first responders and medical professionals to address local preparedness and potential response to the disease.
South Carolina currently has no reported cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, although cases have been reported in neighboring Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Nationwide, 14 people have died of the virus as of Friday, and 100,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide since the virus was first identified in China late last year.
“The question is not ‘if’ the coronavirus will be in the Midlands,” Benjamin said at a post-meeting briefing. “It will be here.”
Benjamin urged local residents to seek out accurate information about coronavirus from officials and from trusted news sources — “Do not rely on social media alone,” he said.
At this point and moving forward, communication on the local level is key, said Harry Tinsley, the city’s emergency management director.
“That’s why everybody’s in the room so we can get synchronized,” Tinsley said during the task force meeting.
Tinsley said officials are planning to designate specific first responders who will be the only ones to respond to suspected coronavirus calls. That would avoid the danger of emergency services being incapacitated by a virus outbreak among responders.
“You don’t want to have that with doctors and nurses either. Put them in quarantine, and we have an issue,” Tinsley said.
Officials from Fort Jackson said the Army post is adjusting its graduation ceremonies to minimize the chances of spreading infections. Family day and graduation events held outside will continue as normal. But during inclement weather, events will be canceled rather than moved inside as in the past.
Recruits face multiple levels of screening coming onto the fort, said Col. Timothy Frambes. Similar procedures are in place for service members traveling to and from stations in Korea and Italy, which are experiencing major outbreaks of the virus.
“Our soldiers are not shaking hands,” Frambes said. “They’re doing the ‘Ebola elbow bump.’”
Local school districts officials said they are stressing their normal flu season protocols, such as handwashing and disinfecting surfaces, while also planning for possible cases where students might use technology to learn at home in the case of school closures.
Local college officials said they are monitoring student travel. Martha Daniels with the University of South Carolina said on-campus student quarantine scenarios are being considered so “we don’t burden hospitals.”
Though preparation for possible infections was the focus of the task force, there is no reason to be concerned about large gatherings in South Carolina right now, said Dr. Gill Porter with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Richland County also put out a statement Friday saying county officials preparing for possible local cases of coronavirus.
County maintenance workers are sanitizing common areas of county buildings throughout the day, and the county’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center has identified areas to quarantine any detainees who test positive for the virus.
“We are aware of the concerns among residents as more people across the nation contract this virus,” County Council Chairman Paul Livingston said in a news release. “It is important we act diligently and responsibly to ensure we’re ready to provide a focused and coordinated response that puts residents and employees at top of mind.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 3:38 PM.
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