March is a great indicator that Spring is here. It also marks a year since the COVID-19 Pandemic began. Since then, so many things have changed — jobs, school, celebrations, grocery shopping. The pandemic has affected us all in a few ways, especially mentally and physically. As Spring and warmer weather approaches, the COG urges you to take advantage of good weather days. Get outside and exercise safely! Go for a run, take a walk around the block, or enjoy a picnic outdoors. Exercise is a great way to improve mental and physical health. Also, regular sun exposure for approximately 10-30 minutes per day is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D. Well-being is a fortune during a pandemic.

You've found a pot of gold in this edition of the LCOG newsletter! Inside, we will share new developments in the Jasper Ocean Terminal project and information about free income tax preparation assistance. Additionally, we will share new announcements regarding long-term care visitation in South Carolina and vaccine rollout.

Please enjoy!
Jasper County's Port is Underway Again
On February 23, there was a major development in the Jasper Ocean Terminal (JOT) project. South Carolina Ports Authority transferred its ownership of the terminal site to Jasper County. The transfer of ownership makes Jasper County 50% owner, alongside the Georgia Ports Authority. The county was able to obtain the property per the intergovernmental agreement. According to WTOC, Councilman Marty Sauls said the agreement expressed that "if they (South Carolina) do not expeditiously develop the Jasper Ocean terminal, then the property rights are transferred to Jasper County." The proposed JOT would be a state-of-the-art marine container terminal using efficient and sustainable technologies to transfer containerized cargo between container ships, over-the-road trucks, and intermodal rail cars. The county plans to work with the Georgia Ports Authority, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the private sector to bring the $5 billion development to the Lowcountry. As of yet, there is no set timeline on when we could see a groundbreaking at the ports.

The anticipated construction of Exit 3 off I-95 in Hardeeville is closely connected to the RiverPort development and the terminal. The Exit 3 project would include improvements to I-95, US 321, and US 17. The project is expected to be funded by state and local contributions. It’s still unclear when construction will begin.
Construction Begins on US 17
Construction has commenced on a multi-million dollar project that will widen almost 4.2 miles along US 17 between South Carolina and Savannah. The project will add two more lanes, a grass median, and several other safety measures along the highway. The upgrades come at such an important time as the region prepares for economic growth. The anticipated total project cost is approximately $60M and currently funded using LCOG Guideshare funding, LATS MPO funding, and SCDOT Safety Funds. Construction will be done by R.B. Baker Construction and is expected to be completed by late 2025. A second phase of the project is being designed by Georgia DOT to construct a second bridge over Back River near the Savannah River.

For more information about the expansion, you may contact our Planning Director, Stephanie Rossi at 843-473-3990.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers FREE basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. The VITA program provides free tax help to:
  • People who generally make $57,000 or less
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Limited English-speaking taxpayers

This year, the VITA program has gone “curbside” to provide COVID-safe FREE tax preparation. Instead of sitting in a room filled with people as is the norm, clients will be able to arrive at a site, sign-in, return to their car, and wait to be called. Once called, they will meet briefly with a volunteer, through plexiglass partitions, to have their tax documents uploaded to a secured IRS portal. A local VITA Tax Preparer will be in contact within 24 to 48 hours to review and finalize the return. Valet VITA services are first come, first served. Facemasks are required.

To find a VITA site near you, click here or call 888-277-7669.
Long-Term Care Visitation

This month, the pandemic makes it’s one year mark and COVID-19 has certainly brought about a lot of changes in long-term care facilities. In the beginning phases, families and friends were prohibited from visiting loved ones. Since then, facilities have slowly begun the phases of allowing visitation; however, there are visitation restrictions. To visit a facility, please contact them to determine if they are open for visitation. If they are not open for visitation, you may be able to schedule a window visit, Facetime or zoom visit. 

The county’s positivity rate, in which the facility is located, must be below 10% to allow for indoor visitation. If the county’s positivity rate is greater than 10%, the facility cannot allow indoor visitation. In response to COVID-19, facilities are administering the vaccine to residents and staff who wish to be vaccinated. Most, if not all facilities, have had their first vaccination clinic and have a second one scheduled; some even a third one. Our hope is that we will soon conquer this pandemic.

For more information, please contact our Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Meyoka Griffin at 843-473-3955.
Vaccines are Becoming More Widely Available

On March 8, the state will transition into Phase 1b of its vaccine rollout, which has been expanded to include all people age 55 and older and people age 16 to 64 with preexisting conditions. Pre-existing health conditions that would qualify someone for the vaccine include cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, Down Syndrome, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, sickle cell anemia and pregnancy. In this phase of the vaccine rollout, school and daycare workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, retail workers, state, local and federal government employees, and law enforcement are included. Dr. Edward Simmer, Director of South Carolina DHEC, stated that Phase 1b would include approximately 2.7 million South Carolinians, which will, "get us closer to the herd immunity, which is 70-80% of the population of South Carolina being vaccinated".

Our bi-weekly Lowcountry COVID-19 Report states that a total of 19,996 cases have been reported, resulting in 348 deaths. A total number of 281,321 COVID-19 tests were administered in the region, and of that number, 10.9% have tested positive. Colleton County has the lowest positivity rate at 9.7%. Beaufort County has a positivity rate of 10.6%. Jasper and Hampton Counties have positivity rates over 13%. In the Lowcountry region, a total of 57,036 vaccine doses were administered.

If you have any questions regarding the Lowcountry COVID-19 Report, contact Maleena Parkey, PhD at 843-473-3987.
If you have questions concerning any of the information contained in the newsletter, please feel free to contact Kira Fuller at 843.473.3956 or by email at rfuller@lowcountrycog.org.