City defers mask measure after ‘dramatic declines’ in cases

Charleston City Council deferred the second reading of a mask ordinance pertaining to face coverings being worn inside all public buildings within the city’s limits. The COVID measure lies in limbo indefinitely, while COVID-19 lingers in the background.

 

At last week’s meeting on Sept. 28, council concluded it was best to balk on the proposed ordinance on account of the latest COVID information received from an area hospital. The consensus to stall any action was nearly uncontested, with a vote of 11-2, after being medically advised that cases are falling.

 

Dr. Michael Sweat, the director of the MUSC Center for Global Health and a tenured professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at MUSC, prefaced that “the news is mostly pretty good.”

 

Over the past several weeks, “dramatic declines” in COVID cases have occurred across the Charleston area, according to Sweat.

 

On Sept. 1, there were 133 cases per day per 100,000 people in the Charleston area. Currently, there are 47 cases per day per the same population. In the past seven days there has been a 35% decline, and a 47% decline over the past 14 days.  

 

“We’ve clearly reached our peak and have been seeing continued declines,” Sweat said.

 

Sweat was pleased to announce that as COVID cases continue to plummet, immunity numbers continue to climb. He noted that the greatest common denominator is the vaccination rate, which has seen a 6% uptick in the area from August to September.  

 

At the time of the meeting, 64% of city staff were fully vaccinated, according to Tracy McKee, chief innovation officer of the mayor’s office. Across the state, 67% were fully vaccinated in Charleston and 47% were fully vaccinated, said Sweat.

 

For the time being, Charleston has been lowered from severe to significant COVID status.

 

Sweat did stress that a majority of COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are resulting from those who are either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. According to MUSC’s data from Aug. 1-31, 85% of COVID cases were patients not fully vaccinated, 71% of COVID hospitalizations were not fully vaccinated and 75% of COVID deaths were not fully vaccinated.

 

“We don’t have a vaccine police,” Sweat added. “... We have to trust people.” 

 

Sweat’s biggest worry isn’t COVID rates right now but rather this winter. He was acutely apprehensive about a spike causing a “significant outbreak” in cases over the upcoming holiday break, drawing a strong correlation between the rate of travel and the rate of respiratory disease’s transmission.

 

However, despite his forewarning, Sweat recommended that now is not necessarily a state of emergency. He measured this by noting that hospitals are not being overrun as of now.

 

“We only have so many arrows in our quiver and you want to use them strategically,” Sweat continued. “... There is a limited tolerance for mandates in the community and you want to use those strategically when you’re in a crisis situation.”

 

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg reassured that council will revisit the ordinance if there is a spike in COVID cases in the near future.    

 

The city’s current mask mandate applies to inside city-owned buildings and public schools in Charleston County. The city’s resolution also strongly recommends masks be worn in all places of public gathering and that all eligible individuals get vaccinated. 

 

The city’s next council meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 12.