Here’s what York County’s top emergency official has to say about coronavirus plans.
Chuck Haynes works as emergency management director in York County, but when it comes to coronavirus he’s a lot like everyone else here.
“We’re all keeping an eye on it,” Haynes said.
Haynes updated York County Council on Monday night amid a health incident that’s dominating headlines worldwide. The World Health Organization offers information on the outbreak of a coronavirus first reported late last year in Wuhan, China. So does the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the domestic agency that spreads tips for public safety.
In York County, emergency officials don’t have all the answers for how the virus might spread and what impact it could have on resident health.
“Everyone wants answers to questions that we don’t have the answers to,” Haynes said. “And we’re just as interested in that information as you are.”
Haynes gets almost daily coronavirus updates from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. That agency is the health authority for the state. There isn’t a York County equivalent or counterpart agency. Haynes and his agency, rather, become involved if a health emergency arises.
“Their plan is to manage the crisis side of it,” he told council. “CDC, DHEC manages the early stages, prediction, vaccines, all the many things that come along with early detection. And then the emergency management piece is the consequences of what happens.”
Haynes said well-funded, well-rehearsed plans to manage flu-like outbreaks have been in place since the mid-2000s when swine flu, bird flu and others presented concern. As of his update Monday night there weren’t any reported coronavirus cases in South Carolina and less than two dozen nationally. Those cases, Haynes said, came on the west coast including two person-to-person transmissions.
“Those are the most concerning,” Haynes said.
The CDC predicted a coronavirus arrival weeks before it got to this country, he said, which helped preparation efforts. Haynes also said the public message is clear and consistent.
“Their recommendations, which we also promote, is exactly what you would do for the flu,” Haynes said. “So good hand washing, good hygiene, staying at home if you’re sick, keeping your kids home from school if they’re sick. Our job at this time is basically brokers of information, to pass on those tips.”
For most people, contracting coronavirus would be similar to seasonal sickness. The mortality rate is fairly low, Haynes said.
“Right now the average U.S. citizen — us — has a very low risk for contracting the virus and a very low risk of actually having any other issues other than normal, seasonal flu-like symptoms,” he said.
There are local plans with hospitals, should the virus arrive and spread. Standalone beds could be set up at, but outside, the main area of hospitals to keep the virus out of the main facility. The same setup, Haynes said, hospitals might use during particularly active flu seasons.
“The plans for monitoring, quarantining, the medical surge side and the supply interruption could be something we’re faced with, but this is not unusual to the normal seasonal flu planning that we do already,” Haynes said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the City of Rock Hill released information on coronavirus concern that asked city residents to get information on everything from prevention to travel guidance from reputable health agencies like the CDC and SCDHEC. The city is working with Haynes and his office, the release states, to ensure key public services continue.
“Residents should be reassured that the City of Rock Hill has extensive operations plans in place to prevent disruption to city services during emergencies, from weather-related events to public health concerns,” Mayor John Gettys stated in the release.
For a list of frequent questions on the coronavirus, from how it spreads to safety tips to prevent it, click here.
