COLUMBIA, S.C. — More and more businesses are reopening in South Carolina and with that comes questions and concerns for many.
The Reopen SC select legislative committee met Thursday to question local health leaders with DHEC and MUSC, as well as the executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW).
Senate leaders from around the state who are on the Reopen SC Select Committee discussed testing and contract tracing efforts with State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell.
One of their strategies is to increase the number of testing to two percent of the state's population over the next two months.
"With our increased testing, there is an increase in the number of positive cases reported," Dr. Bell said. "It’s been our goal to find those positive cases, and so this means that we must also increase the extent of our contact tracing of individuals who are found to be positive and we are prepared to do so."
Dr. Bell said as they learn more about the virus, they are changing the way they conduct contact tracing investigations. They are no longer restricted to a relationship or setting.
"As we learn more about this virus, we’ve begun to understand that there is probably a component of airborne transmissions, so we changed the nature of our contact investigations,” Dr. Bell said. “And, so even though we make recommendations that people should use personal protective equipment in public settings, the reason for that is for the unanticipated contact of anyone individual who could be spreading the virus unknowingly.
Also, during the meeting, Dan Ellzey, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce discussed their latest numbers and depleting trust fund.
"Our trust fund this year, $1.1 billion as when we entered the situation," Ellzey said. "Back in 2008-2009, we were about $200 million, nothing compared to what we’ve got now. So were we prepared? We thought we were, but we had no idea what was coming."
Meanwhile, Dr. Bell said the state can safely reopen, but it is important to continue following recommendations and expanding testing.
MUSC also said they are working on expanding testing capabilities. Right now, they can do about 2,500 tests in their two labs and said by June is will be closer to the 3,000 to 4,000 range.