SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — There have been more than 218,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,249 deaths in South Carolina, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
The increase in positive COVID cases forced the Orangeburg County School District to move 100 percent online learning until after winter break. And a Lexington One third-grade teacher recently died from the virus.
John Williams, director of disaster preparedness for the SC Hospital Association (SCHA), says staffing is the major concern as coronavirus numbers continue to rise in the state.
"Because COVID is national, there is a staffing shortage everywhere," John Williams explains. "Here in South Carolina, we tend to build out our hospitals so that every bed can be there for a surge. However, if you don't have the staff to man those beds, you don't have any beds."
News 19 reached out to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) to see if any hospitals have requested assistance.
"Since the spread, we kept in very close contact with all of the hospitals in the state as part of our medical surge task force," said Derrec Becker, chief of public information & external affairs with SCEMD. "So far, we have not had any request for assistance from any hospitals or county emergency managers."
Officials with the Hospital Association say residents shouldn't be concerned about hospitals' capabilities as the numbers increase. Instead, they say folks should be concerned about the roles they play and how effectively hospitals can tend to needs.
"If you limit these large gatherings, you limit the possibility of the community spread, which then limits the number of people who may end up in your hospital," Williams said.
SCEMD says it has a hospital surge plan in place if there is a need for assistance.