SC public health leader worried about another surge in COVID cases SC public health leader worried about another surge in COVID cases By Adam Mintzer | March 16, 2021 at 3:43 PM EDT - Updated March 16 at 6:33 PM COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - New daily cases, deaths, and hospitalization due to COVID-19 are all down in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. However, state public health leaders are afraid that can change in the next few weeks. “We’ve been going in the right direction for many weeks now…but I’m nervous,” State Assistant Epidemiologist Dr. Jane Kelly said. “Springtime is here, and people are more likely to go on vacations, spring break, get together, go to the beach, go to places where they like to travel, [and] gather indoors. And I’m really worried about a surge,” she said.