City Hall Illuminated in Memorial of
US COVID-19 Deaths
On January 19, we lit City Hall in amber lights to honor the nearly 400,000 Americans lost in the COVID-19 pandemic. We mourn with communities across our country forever changed from this deadly virus.
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Municipal Court Opening Courthouse Payment Windows and Drive Thru
In-person Court Appearances Still Suspended
By Order of Chief Justice Beatty of the South Carolina Supreme Court, in-person Court appearances have been suspended until further notice starting Monday, January 11, 2021. However, beginning Thursday, January 21, 2021, the courthouse payment windows and drive thru will be open for payments and any other inquiries.
If you miss your court date due to the court closure, your case will be rescheduled and a new court date notification will be sent to you by mail. Please make sure the court has your correct address. If your address has changed, we must receive the new address in writing by bring it to our payment window, mail it to Post Office Box 644 Columbia, SC 29202 or Fax to 803-545-3193.
Please include your name, original court date and ticket/warrant number. Fine payments can be made at our payment windows, drive thru, online from this web page under the Court Payments tab or mail your check or money order payment to Post Office Box 644 Columbia, SC 29202. Preliminary Hearings will continue to be conducted virtually (via invitation) through Web-Ex.
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City Holds MLK Day Drive-Thru Food Drive as a Community Service Project/ National Day of Service
District Two Councilman Edward McDowell, Jr., City of Columbia Officials, Richland School District One and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation held a drive-thru food drive on January 18, 2021 as a community service project as a part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honor the Dream Drive-Thru Food Drive benefiting Harvest Hope Food Bank. Partners, community organizations, churches and were encouraged to join this effort.In conjunction with the National League of Cities, we hosted a National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Organizations across the country hosted service events that focus on COVID-19 relief and address challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, such as poverty, hunger, racial injustice, homelessness, mental health, and educational disparities. Through community efforts, over 2000 pounds of food was collected, 10,873 meals were raised, and $2300 was donated to Harvest Hope Food Bank to help fight hunger.
Councilman McDowell said, "as the challenges of the pandemic continue to have an impact on our community, it is a pivotal time for us to work together to help those who need it most. Let's serve our community and honor Dr. King's legacy of service by supporting this food drive."
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The City of Columbia and Local Partners Present the Fourth Community Conversation on The Color of Law
The City of Columbia and local partners have worked together to host four virtual sessions on the book The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. The purpose of these sessions is to explore the concepts presented in the book to understand their role in shaping Columbia and explore ways we can address the effects of past policies to create a more equitable community.
The fourth and final session will take place on February 4th, 2021 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and the topic will be Where Do We Go from Here: Innovative Solutions from Today’s Mayors.
Panelists for the session include:
1. Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia, South Carolina
2. Mayor Vi Lyles, Charlotte, North Carolina
3. Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, Jackson, Mississippi
Register for this session now! Due to overwhelming interest in the community conversations, previous sessions have filled to maximum capacity.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America recovers a forgotten history of how federal, state, and local policy explicitly segregated metropolitan areas nationwide, creating racially homogenous neighborhoods in patterns that violate the Constitution and require remediation. It’s author, Richard Rothstein, is a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute and a Senior Fellow (emeritus) at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
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Mayor Steve Benjamin,
Columbia, South Carolina
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Mayor Vi Lyles,
Charlotte, North Carolina
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Mayor Chokwe Lumumba,
Jackson, Mississippi
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City Video Hub
Find in-depth perspectives from news, updates, and recent events in the City of Columbia.
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City Council
Virtual Meeting
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 2:00 PM
View the complete City Council Meeting Summary here.
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Drive-Thru Food Drive | MLK Day of Service
On January 18, 2021, the City of Columbia's Parks & Recreation Department hosted a drive-thru food drive in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wreath Laying Ceremony 2021
On January 18, 2021, members of the Alpha Psi Lambda and Omicron Iota Lambda chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. lead a Wreath Laying Ceremony commemorating the historic marker honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
City of Columbia's 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Invocation: Edward McDowell, City Councilman (District II)
Welcome: Henry Simons, Assistant City Manager of Operations
Honor the Dream Food Drive: Henry Simons
Dream Keeper Scholarships: Leshia Utsey, Director of Public Relations, Media & Marketing
Introduction of Keynote Speaker: Teresa Wilson, City Manager
Keynote Speaker: Stephen K. Benjamin, Mayor
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South Carolinians Aged 70 and Older Can Schedule COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Beginning Jan. 13
Based on COVID-19 vaccine data — doses received, administered, and appointments scheduled — South Carolina officials are confident the majority of people in Phase 1a who want to be vaccinated have either received their shots or have scheduled appointments to do so. There are currently 146,500 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the state, with 82,266 total doses already administered (a 56 percent utilization rate) plus 94,926 appointments scheduled by Phase 1a individuals to receive their vaccine over the next several weeks.
Additional steps to expedite access to additional South Carolinians will be made based on the use of the vaccine, the number of appointments made, and information on vaccine supply.
“Because we’ve seen a dramatic acceleration in vaccine usage and appointments in the last week, we have decided to speed things up again,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “We know that those 70 and older are at the greatest risk of dying from COVID-19. Making sure they have expedited access to the vaccine will help save lives.”
“While COVID-19 vaccine is currently limited in South Carolina, like it is in all states, our providers continue to receive ongoing weekly shipments of vaccine from the federal government,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Interim Director of Public Health. “When evaluating supply versus demand and as the rate of vaccines coming into the state increases compared to the rate of appointments being scheduled, we believe it is appropriate to begin scheduling appointments for additional South Carolinians. Based on current data, the mortality rate from COVID-19 for those 70 and older in South Carolina is approximately 655 deaths per 100,000 individuals. For those under the age of 70, there are approximately 37 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 individuals. This is a staggering comparison and illustrates why vaccinating this population next is critically important in our mission to save lives.”
More than 67 percent of COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina have been among those 70 and older.
It’s estimated there are roughly 627,800 South Carolinians aged 70 or older in South Carolina, with many already receiving their vaccine through other Phase 1a eligibility.
What to Know
- Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 13, any South Carolina resident who’s at least 70 years old can schedule their appointment for receiving vaccine
- Vaccine can only be administered by appointment – you can’t walk into a health care facility and ask for vaccine
- Residents will be asked to provide a driver’s license or other form of ID at their appointment that confirms their age and, therefore, their eligibility to receive vaccine
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Individuals eligible to receive vaccine can schedule an appointment using this online resource, which currently includes several major hospitals, seven DHEC sites, a DHEC mobile clinic, and 12 Doctor’s Cares locations. An additional 50 locations will be added to this list and available to provide vaccine by the beginning of next week. Individuals can also call the DHEC Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for assistance with scheduling an appointment.
- As long-term care facility residents and staff continue to receive their Moderna vaccine through the federal Long-Term Care program, the state can soon redirect some Moderna vaccine from that program and make it available to others
- South Carolina is committed to making the limited supply of COVID-19 available to rural and unserved communities who have residents currently eligible to receive vaccine. This is occurring through:
- an increased number of DHEC mobile clinic locations, where DHEC can bring the vaccine to communities without nearby locations offering vaccine
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working with the South Carolina Vaccine Advisory Committee, Office of Rural Health, Office of Minority Affairs, South Carolina Hospital Association, South Carolina Medical Association, and other state and local partners to establish vaccine provider locations to rural and underserved communities
- continuing to educate and inform rural, minority, and non-White communities about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine
- The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two shots separated by 21 days. The Moderna vaccine requires two shots separated by 28 days. You need to receive both shots of the same product; vaccine brands are not interchangeable.
- Both shots are needed for complete protection against COVID-19. After receiving both shots, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 94-95 percent effective in preventing disease.
- Individuals will receive a vaccine card after receiving their first shot, reminding them when their second shot is due. Most providers are also issuing second-dose appointment reminders to patients by way of phone calls, emails or text messages.
- Getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Protection from COVID-19 is critically important because for some people, it can cause severe illness or death.
- Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Other steps, like masks and physical distancing, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others.
As the worldwide pandemic and vaccine distribution continue to be quickly evolving situations, South Carolinians are reminded to stay updated by following trusted, verified sources for the latest information. DHEC continues to hold at least twice-weekly updates to our state’s media outlets as part of ongoing efforts to provide the most current information available. For the latest COVID-19 vaccine information, visit scdhec.gov/vaxfacts.
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DHEC, LLR Announce Joint Order Expands Pool of Medical Professionals who can Administer COVID-19 Vaccine
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) issued a joint order expanding the number of medical professionals who may administer COVID-19 vaccine.
While the amount of COVID-19 vaccine is currently limited in South Carolina, as it is in all states, the purpose of the order is to ensure South Carolina has enough trained medical professionals for administering shots when vaccine supply into South Carolina becomes more widely available.
“While South Carolina is currently in Phase 1a of its vaccine plan which is targeted at protecting front-line medical workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and those who are 70 older, this joint order proactively puts us in a position to have an increased number of people who can administer vaccine when the vaccine is more widely available to everyone,” said Marshall Taylor, DHEC Acting Director.
The joint order expanding the qualified persons who are now authorized to administer pre-measured doses of COVID-19 vaccine includes:
- personnel with current certifications by certain certifying boards
- students of an accredited medical school with appropriate instruction and documented training
- registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who have retired, become inactive, or whose licenses have lapsed within the last five years but were in good standing
“This Order goes a long way in helping hospitals and other providers prepare for administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. LLR, along with the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing and other health professional licensing boards, are committed to doing everything we can to help South Carolinians gain access to a COVID-19 vaccine as quickly and safely as possible. We continue to stand ready to assist DHEC in its endeavor to do so,” LLR Director Emily Farr said.
These newly qualified persons will need to enroll in the federal program all providers must successfully complete in order to administer COVID-19 vaccine. There are currently 924 vaccine provider sites enrolled in the federal program for administering COVID-19 vaccine and 286 of those provider sites are currently activated and able to administer the vaccine. The number of activated sites will increase as vaccine becomes more widely available.
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DHEC Announces Shift from Containment to Mitigation as COVID-19 Cases See Record Growth
S.C. Public Health Officials: “We Must All Stand Together on the Frontlines Against COVID-19”
As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase at record levels in South Carolina, public health officials yesterday announced the state will change its efforts from containment to community mitigation measures to slow the spread of the virus. South Carolinians are being called on to help by continuing to take actions we know work – wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing.
“As COVID-19 continues to spread in our communities at staggering rates, we are calling on South Carolinians to take immediate actions to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, Interim Public Health Director for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). “Until the COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available and enough people are vaccinated, we must all act now or continue to face unprecedented numbers of cases that are overwhelming our hospitals and healthcare systems, as well as taking the lives of those we love. To do that, every one of us must recommit to the fight. We are all on the frontlines. If we don’t act now, we could face many dark months ahead.”
During containment, the effort is made to control the spread of disease by investigating each case and all who come into contact with them. The move from disease containment to a disease mitigation phase occurs when cases of disease are widespread and difficult to investigate one by one. Information on mitigation strategies is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
More South Carolinians Getting Sick from COVID-19
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today confirmed 4,809 new confirmed cases and 136 new probable cases of COVID-19, 18 additional confirmed deaths and 5 new probable deaths. These increases come as South Carolina faces new records for the highest number of new total cases and highest positivity rate – reaching 5,077 new cases Wednesday, Jan. 6 and a positive rate of 34.2% Tuesday, Jan. 5.
During the first two weeks of 2021 alone, 45,210 South Carolinians were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in South Carolina to 337,845, probable cases to 33,335, confirmed deaths to 5,420, and 514 probable deaths.
This is occurring as South Carolina, like other states across the nation, continues to also face an unprecedented increase in patient hospitalizations, causing a decrease in the availability of beds in our Emergency Departments, hospitals, intensive care units (ICU) and supply of ventilators.
Hospitals Bed and Ventilator Use Up
As of this morning, acute care hospitals in South Carolina are nearing capacity and Emergency Departments are overwhelmed. Of the 11,329 inpatient beds currently being used for patient care, 2,427 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19. In addition, of the 1,754 ICU beds currently being used for patient care, 465 are occupied by COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile of the 1,948 available ventilators, 744 are in use and 290 of those are COVID-19 patients. Many hospitals in the state are now cancelling elective services to deal with the overwhelming increase in the number of patients.
South Carolinians Encouraged to Know Their Status; Get Tested Regularly
DHEC strongly encourages South Carolinians to get tested regularly in order to know their status for COVID-19 and take action. As part of its mitigation strategy, DHEC continues to work with community partners across the state to increase access to COVID-19 testing. To date, South Carolina has conducted more than 4.16 million COVID-19 tests, which includes results from over 2,074,355 distinct people (40% of the state's population). In addition, more than 300 testing events are open today across the state.
However, the state’s large increases in the number of COVID-19 cases requires public health officials to focus efforts on maximizing the effectiveness of case and contact investigation.
State Takes Mitigation Measures to Put Case and Contact Investigations to Best Use
Mitigation measures seek to put case and contact investigations to their best use possible to help public health officials focus on how best to prevent further spread of disease.
During the mitigation phase, efforts of contact investigation change from attempting to find the close contacts of each individual case to prioritizing case investigations of those who have tested positive for or were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 6 days.
Beginning immediately, contact investigators will focus contact tracing efforts on:
- household contacts exposed in the past 6 days, and
- people living, working, or visiting shared living facilities, high-density workplaces or other settings (or events) where a lot of spread is possible.
South Carolinians should not expect individual notification that they were exposed to a case.
How Can You Help?
Everyone must play a role in preventing spread during the mitigation phase. Public health officials stress the importance of wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, staying home and away from other people when sick, and washing our hands often regardless of if cases have been reported in your immediate community.
“Our chance of getting the best outcome hinges on us all doing our part,” Dr. Traxler said. “We need South Carolinians to continue to stand together to fight this disease by taking small steps that make a big difference, including wearing your mask, getting tested and staying home when you’re sick, avoiding large gatherings, practicing physical distancing, and when it’s your turn, getting vaccinated.”
People with signs of illness must stay at home and avoid public gatherings.
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Mayor Benjamin "Mask Up Columbia!" |
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Follow these easy steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
1. Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
2. If soap and warm water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
3. Clean surfaces frequently with disinfecting supplies (telephones, keyboards, copiers, printers, desks, etc.)
4. Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other individuals
5. Do no gather in crowds and groups.
6. Maximize social distancing among co-workers and the public.
Remember, Safety Starts with an “S” but it begins with “YOU”.
Let’s continue to unite and fight the spread of the Coronavirus.
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For more information please visit
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Stephen K. Benjamin
Mayor
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Sam Davis
Councilman District I
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Tameika Isaac Devine
Councilwoman At-Large
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Howard E. Duvall, Jr.
Councilman At-Large
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Edward H. McDowell, Jr.
Councilman District II
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Daniel J. Rickenmann
Councilman District IV
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Will Brennan
Councilman District III
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Teresa Wilson
City Manager
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