COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cities across South Carolina are beginning to look more like they did before the pandemic, with fewer masks, more events and tourists coming back to cities.
Statewide, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been trending downward and hospital leaders say staffing and supplies are no longer under strain.
“We still have a few things on back order, but as far as the essential items to take care of patients, everything is where it needs to be at this time,” John Williams, Director of Emergency preparedness with the S.C. Hospital Association said.
However, there’s still work to do.
According to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the mass vaccination site at Columbia Place mall is one of the only federal sites in the country to see a continued increase in daily visitors.
Despite this, Sunday afternoon, it was mostly quiet while more than half of the state remains unvaccinated.
The concern for health officials now is those without the shots, as restrictions loosen further, including removing mask requirements for the fully vaccinated.
“COVID is still with us so large gatherings and such is still a concern for us; we have to prepare for that,” Williams said. “Although the rules are changing, we still have to keep in mind that the disease itself has not. It’s still out there and we pretty much have to govern ourselves accordingly.”
He’s encouraging those who can to get vaccinated to help keep cases declining.
“As vaccine becomes more widely available, it is now easier than ever to find a COVID-19 vaccine appointment,” Williams said. “We encourage all South Carolinians to get the vaccine if you already haven’t.”
He added that those who may have been putting off potentially life saving care, including screenings, should seek those services now that our state’s hospitals are not under tremendous strain due to the pandemic.