City of Orangeburg officials say they are continuing to monitor COVID rates among employees with an eye toward possibly implementing safety measures.
“We will continue to monitor the numbers for our employees,” City Administrator Sidney Evering told City Council during the body’s regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting.
“We hope this is just an anomaly in terms of the spike and that this is not a trend,” he said.
Evering said about six employees are currently positive with COVID for a 3% positive rate among city staff. He said about 77% of the city’s employees are vaccinated.
Last week, several Department of Public Safety employees tested positive for COVID, leading to the closing of ODPS offices to the public. Evering said a deep clean has been performed at the building.
“If those numbers continue to rise, then we will take additional measures as far as requiring face coverings in facilities or anything that would help us tamp those numbers down,” Evering said.
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Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities Manager Warren Harley said the utility is “comfortable where we are” with COVID cases.
He said about five people have either had a close contact or tested positive for the virus but that has been companywide and not concentrated in a specific department.
“Our numbers still seem to be very manageable,” Harley said. “We have not seen disruptions in one particular area.”
He said the situation will be monitored and necessary actions will be taken if there are any changes.
City Councilman Jerry Hannah requested the city go back to mask mandates, noting the virus started before with only a few getting it.
“Mask wearing would help,” Hannah said.
He noted people don’t prepare for a storm when a storm comes and the wind is blowing or put on seat belts when an accident starts to happen.
“We must be prepared. If we care about our people, we would ask to go back to wearing masks,” he said.
No action was taken or discussion had on Hannah’s request.
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