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South Carolina hospital leaders urge masking, vaccinations ahead of Christmas holiday

SC hospitals are seeing some relief after a rise in COVID-19 cases earlier in the year. The omicron variant and busy holiday travel season cast doubt.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — After an unprecedented year, a sigh of relief from emergency room staff on the front lines of the pandemic.

Dr. Christine Carr is an emergency physician and senior clinical advisor for the South Carolina Hospital Association.

"Thankfully, we are kind of coming out of our delta surge and our volume, specifically, our COVID-19 volumes, are much lower than they’ve been," Carr said.

RELATED: LIST: Where have omicron cases been confirmed in the US?

Staffing continues to be one of their biggest challenges, she said, as workers become fatigued or seek employment elsewhere.

“…and that results in longer waits for all patients, not just COVID patients," Carr said.

Another concern is the new omicron variant, now found in at least 12 states. The strain was classified as a variant of concern last month and has since led to travel restrictions in countries around the world. 

"I think, without a doubt, this is going to lead to a rise in cases just given the really significantly increased transmissibility of the virus," Carr said.

While scientists continue to analyze the potential effects of the new strain, Dr. Carr said their focus is on the holidays and keeping cases of the more widely spread delta variant down.

RELATED: South Carolina school nurses receive some relief from COVID-19 cases

"I think people should get together for the holidays," Carr said, "but you should be smart about it. If you have a young immunocompromised person or an old immunocompromised person, someone who doesn’t have a good immune system, wear a mask."

She's also encouraging vaccinations and booster shots as a way to curb the spread.

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