Local authorities focused on the future during today's press conference, discussing both expectations and goals.
Mayor Knox White outlined the proposed phased approach.
He explained it is based on up-to-date data and readiness and is intended to mitigate risk of resurgence and protect the most vulnerable.
State and local communities can move to Phase One if criteria outlined below is met.
First, there must be a downward trajectory of COVID and influenza-like illness for a four day period.
Second, there must be a downward trajectory of documented cases or positive tests in a 14 day period.
Lastly, hospitals must be able to treat all patients without crisis care and be able to implement robust testing.
Dr. Eric Ossman of Prisma Health said that while the Upstate is no longer in the upslope it was two weeks ago, the difficulty with the disease is that is so contagious.
"One case can generate two or three others, so the real effect of social distancing is preventing that one case from coming into contact with the uninfected," Dr. Ossman said.
Bon Secours St. Francis is currently working to ramp up outpatients surgeries starting the in the middle of next week.
Depending on COVID-19 levels and the success of outpatients surgeries, they hope to then move into short stay surgeries, eventually opening up to the possibility of inpatient surgeries in the next four to five weeks.
Dr. Marcus Blackstone of Bon Secours St. Francis also reported that convalescent plasma therapy has proven to be fairly effective.
"The big key to us being able to use this therapy is having donors and the donors are the COVID positive patients who are actually symptom free for 28 days. It's going to be important that if those people are willing to donate plasma... that is a means to treat patients who are sick with COVID-19," Dr. Blackstone said.
Dr. Brannon Traxler of DHEC said while one report suggested the peak in South Carolina was reached last week, data and trends vary and can change quickly.
"We do not have a certainty that we are consistently seeing a plateau in cases but are cautiously optimistic I would say. The risk of transmission is still considered to be high until we see a downward trend for at least two weeks," Dr. Traxler reported.
Chris Stone of VisitGreenvilleSC said the hospitality industry is working to create strategies which will best stimulate the economy.
The yeahthatgreenville campaign spends $4 million per year on media.
Stone reports for every dollar they spend they gain $66.
Thus a robust marketing campaign is in the works to get the economy in the Upstate going again.
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