Coronavirus live updates: What impact could the virus have on summer tourism?
Even if no one in the Grand Strand area ever gets diagnosed with coronavirus, the global outbreak could still have a major impact on the local economy.
More than 3,000 international students come to the area each summer to work under the U.S. Department of State’s J-1 visa program.
Stephen Greene, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association, said those students are very important to add to the local workforce during the heavy tourism months, particularly with the low unemployment rates in the region.
The state department hasn’t issued any definitive guidance as it relates to the J-1 program, but they are working with interagency partners to closely monitor the situation to protect U.S. citizens from the virus including quarantines and travel restrictions, according to a department official.
Nearly 1,200 students who worked in 2017 on J-1 visas in the Myrtle Beach area were from countries with confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Centers for Disease Controls and state department data. That includes 230 from countries with active travel advisories, and most of those students were from China.
While the outbreak may impact the summer workforce, local officials anticipate minimal impact on the amount of visitors to the Grand Strand.
“While Myrtle Beach holds global appeal, the majority of our visitors are domestic travelers, primarily driving to the area,” Karen Riordan, president and CEO of Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.
According to the chamber’s tracking data, less than 2 percent of the area’s visitors during the third quarter of 2019 were from outside the U.S., and 80-90 percent of international guests annually are from Canada.
CCU caution
Update: Coastal Carolina University has canceled all travel abroad trips that have not already departed until further notice, according to an online advisory. This will impact various university-sponsored education abroad programs, a program sponsored by CCU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), and individual faculty travel.
Students returning from abroad from countries with travel restrictions imposed by the CDC are being urged to self-isolate for 14 days, according to the advisory.
CCU previously had just canceled a planned spring break trip for students to the Philippines in response to the global coronavirus outbreak.
The university announced the decision in an email to students and staff that also detailed instructions urging students studying abroad in Italy to return home.
“The University is committed to providing the support these students may need in order to return by March 16 (following spring break) to continue their study programs at CCU without any loss of academic credit,” the university wrote in its email.
CCU is using travel advisory levels from the CDC and U.S. Department of State as guidance for its decisions.
The CDC has recommended travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Italy (Level 3), while the state department has recommended travelers reconsider travel there (Level 3).
CCU spokeswoman Martha Hunn noted that the Philippines trip was canceled because the flight was scheduled to stop in South Korea, which is also designated as a level 3 travel advisory by the state department and CDC.
Local hospital response
While no coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in South Carolina, cases have been confirmed in Washington, California, Oregon, Florida and New York, according to various media reports.
Local health groups are making preparations and advising residents how to minimize their risks.
Conway Medical Center is screening all patients, including those visiting their provider offices, and asking about recent travel history or potential contact with an infected person, according to spokeswoman Allyson Floyd.
The center has also placed signs at its entrances instructing visitors with respiratory to wear a mask and urging the public to come to their emergency department if they have concerns due to travel history or exposure.
CMC will begin facility-wide education on the virus Wednesday, and they’ve already educated staff on “sparing,” meaning to try and avoid waste and minimize usage in case of a reduction in availability or delayed shipments on supplies including isolation gowns and coveralls, as well as face masks, both surgical and isolation, and surgical drapes, according to Floyd.
Tidelands Health has “rigorous processes and protocols in place to safely care for patients with infectious diseases,” according to spokeswoman Dawn Bryant.
Bryant wrote in an email that Tidelands is closely monitoring developments and implementing recommendations from the CDC and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Grand Strand Health is also preparing for any potential impact, according to spokeswoman Katie Maclay.
“This is what we do,” Dr. Andrew Schwartz, chief medical officer of Grand Strand Health, said in a statement. “From natural disasters to the spread of infections or viruses, we are always preparing for what could happen.”
Maclay noted that the CDC currently advises that the immediate risk to our area is low, and we should not be alarmed right now, but we should prepare for possible disruptions to everyday life.
Symptoms, which may appear 2-14 days after exposure, include shortness of breath, fever and cough, with the severity of those symptoms ranging from mild to severe and resulting in death in some cases, according to the CDC.
Grand Strand Health advises these safety tips: avoid close contact with people who are sick; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; stay home when you are sick; cover your cough or sneeze; wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds; and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 12:24 PM.
