Can York County balance businesses reopening and coronavirus counts? See the numbers.
As more South Carolina businesses set to reopen, the state and tri-county area already see an impact from decisions aimed at getting back to work.
Since widespread business closing or modified operations this spring due to COVID-19, there’s been a constant balancing attempt between the public health goal of social distancing to slow viral spread and the economic goal of employment. Gov. Henry McMaster spoke multiple times, as recently as Wednesday afternoon, on how gathering restrictions for business, schools and other public functions have to factor in business.
“South Carolina’s business is business,” he said. “And South Carolina’s important task is keeping our people safe and healthy. And the way to have our businesses open and flourish, and put our people to work, is to be safe by keeping your distance, wearing that mask, washing your hands and being careful what you do.”
McMaster loosened restrictions Wednesday for sports and concert venues, theaters and similar gathering places beginning Aug. 3. Those business types are the last on the list of places now able to reopen.
On the business end, decisions to allow reopenings show signs of progress. South Carolina had 12,194 unemployment claims filed the week ending July 25. That figure is the lowest weekly total since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered business in mid-March. The state has had almost 698,000 claims since then.
“Our economy is gaining traction as business owners reopen with strict safety protocols, recall their workforces and recruit new employees,” said state employment and workforce director Dan Ellzey, in a statement with the weekly data release Thursday. “We are strongly encouraged by this downward trend in initial claims and the performance of the economy.”
York, Lancaster and Chester counties each saw new lows for weekly unemployment claims. York County had 382 claims the most recent week. Lancaster County had 140 and Chester County 91.
That total of 613 tri-county claims brings the total since mid-March to 36,664. York County has 24,419 claims since coronavirus shut-downs began. Lancaster County has 7,994 claims and Chester County 4,251 claims.
Yet while unemployment figures drop, the case count for coronavirus hasn’t. At the same press event where McMaster spoke Wednesday afternoon, state epidemiologist Linda Bell announced more than 1,600 new coronavirus cases and 52 confirmed or probable deaths from it in a day. Since the pandemic began, there have been more than 85,000 cases and 1,600 confirmed or probable deaths.
“We have reported at least 1,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 every single day, except for one, in the month of July,” Bell said. “And sadly, we continue to announce a high number of confirmed deaths as well.”
Higher case counts in June and July have led to higher death counts, she said. Coronavirus deaths typically occur two weeks after symptoms develop. Bell said wearing masks and keeping distance from other people can help improve conditions.
“We each have a role to play to reduce these high numbers and these deaths,” she said.
A strict adherence to the mask and social distancing recommendations could change the outlook in South Carolina within four to six weeks, she said.
“We can be in a completely different place in a relatively short period of time,” Bell said.
McMaster repeatedly stated in recent weeks, business shutdown isn’t the way to get there. He also recommended school districts start this fall with a five-day, in-person option along with virtual ones. In-person school is of particular importance for young students in poorer and rural areas.
“If you have working parents, they’ve got to go to work,” McMaster said Wednesday. “They can’t stay home and help a young child do something virtually. They just can’t do it.”
A federal decision also could soon lead to more people heading back to work. Ellzey said Thursday that barring change from federal legislators, South Carolina residents who receive unemployment benefits would get their final $600 per week federal check this week.
“We recognize, however, that debate is taking place at this time in Washington over a possible extension of federal unemployment benefits,” Ellzey said. “If there is no agreement, these payments will not be restarted. If there is agreement, it could take a while to implement a different federal program developed by Congress depending on the complexity of the changes. It is just not a matter of stopping and then re-starting the program.”
McMaster addressed those possibilities Wednesday, in what it would mean when federal money stops and only state resources are available. He addressed the question of how unemployment could operate, whether at a percentage of prior wages or a flat rate.
“The big answer to that question is not more and more unemployment (benefits), but getting people back to work,” McMaster said. “And part of getting people back to work is having schools open.... Everything is tied to everything else, so we are trying to do all of those things to see that our people get back to work and they don’t need unemployment insurance.”
