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This is a South Carolina summer like no other.
Sure, July days in the South are still sweltering. And the promise of sunshine is still enough to lure people out of their homes on a weekend.
But unlike summers past, this one is shaped by COVID-19.
Reminders to be socially distant. To wash hands. To wear masks.To gather virtually instead of in crowds.
Nearly two months have passed since the state's public health agency identified Greenville as a hotspot for the coronavirus, thrusting the city and the Upstate into a limelight nobody wanted.
Last week, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 2,006 new COVID-19cases in Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg and Pickens counties. That's a 19% drop from the week before.
But, while new cases dropped,South Carolina is seeing its highest death counts: 231 last week, 222 the week before that, according to DHEC's latest numbers.
Here's a map: Look at COVID-19 cases by county and zip code in South Carolina
Since March, at least1,436 people in South Carolina have died of COVID-19, the agency said.Greenville County leads the state in that grim statistic, with at least 153people who have died of COVID-19.
Emergency orders requiring masks are popping up in cities and towns across the state, including Greenville, Anderson and Clemson.
Mask or maskless: The politics of measuring individual responsibility in South Carolina
It is against this backdrop that USA Today Network reporters and photographers from The Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail and Spartanburg Herald-Journal spread out across the Upstate this past weekend to see what 48 hours of life looks like as ordinary people struggle to define "normal" during a pandemic.
Here iswhat we found.
Downtown Greenville
People strolled in and out of restaurants in downtown Greenville on Friday evening. Few wore masks and even fewerpaid attention to the five protestersstationed at One City Plaza who were advocating a statewide mask mandate.
David Herrick speaks during a rally for mask wearing in downtown Greenville Friday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)
The demonstration might have been small because ofheavy rainjust before the rally. It might have been small because it was organizers' first such effort. Either way, Lydia Freund had hoped for a larger turnout.
Freund, who works in meal service for Greenville County Schools, said she felt she needed to be there.
Federal response has been lacking, the state response has been lacking and now the county council refuses to weigh in on a mask mandate, Freund said.
Although the city of Greenville enacted a mask mandate for grocery stores and pharmacies, the county has not.
Stephen Dreyfus, who also was at the rally, has seen what a mask requirement can do, even if it isnt strictly enforced. Thats why he drives to the city for groceries instead of to his usual stores, near where he lives in the county.
If we overreact, the worst that happens is its very inconvenient. If we underreact, it could cost people their lives, he said.
Signs are displayed during a rally for mask wearing in downtown Greenville Friday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)
Dreyfus, whos running as a Democrat for the District 20 seat on the state House of Representatives, said it was a mistake for Gov. Henry McMaster to reopen South Carolina when he did.
People make mistakes. Wise people correct them, Dreyfus said.
Activist Bruce Wilson spoke to passersby through a bullhorn at the gathering. He said he is concerned that the lack of a mask mandate will hurt minority communities the most.
Science proves that a mask is effective, and so we definitely need a mandate in this state, Wilson said. Is a mandate an enforceable law? Maybe not. But it helps to remind individuals to wear a mask.
Caine Halter Family YMCA
Nineteen people spread out around the tennis courts outside the Caine Halter Family YMCAon Cleveland Street for a morning boot camp class.
The instructor, Ray Papke, has held this class for years. The people mostly know each other, and their banter is jovial, a mix of discussion about kidsand some good-natured razzing from Papke.
This is the biggest group Papke has had since the pandemic began. Heused to teach eight in-person classes at the YMCA each week. Now, he teaches five. Four are virtual andnot affiliated with the YMCA and one is the boot camp class, whichhe now does only outside.
Meanwhile golf: As COVID-19 changes other businesses, golf sees a surge in Greenville
Papke doesnt know when hell return to doing classes inside the Y again. There are too many unknowns right now, he said.
Were outside at the Y because there are a lot of people including myself that arent comfortable going back in, especially to small closed spaces, Papke said, glistening with sweat, post-class. Ive got family where Im particularly careful because theyre in that age and category both so I try to keep it to grocery shopping and thats it."
Papke said the pandemic has changed his habits, and not just because he sleeps a half-hour later now and gets up at 5 a.m.
"Its kept me conscious of what Im doing, where Im going, what I didnt need to be doing," he said.
He said he thinks the pandemic will pass, but that it may be a year or two before people's lives seem normal again.
I look at 9/11, for a good few months everybody was bonded and then it went to crap. Right now were at a crap moment but were going to be bonded again."
Anderson Area YMCA parking lot
Nine officers from the Anderson Police Department gather for roll call 15 minutes before their shift begins. They have been doing roll calls outside at various locations in the cityfor weeks now.It helps them to stay socially distant from one another.
Anderson police Alpha shift conduct the roll call in the parking lot of the YMCA in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020. Police gather outside for roll call six-feet apart as they discuss topics, including the city mask ordinance. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
COVID-19 has hit close to home for them. Police Chief Jim Stewart had it in late June and has recovered.
Six of the nine officers are wearing masks.
Four people jog by and, noticing the gathering of officers at YMCA, the joggers all crane their necks and briefly study the parking lot, never breaking stride.
Anderson police Alpha shift's Tiffany Ray, left, listens as Jared Burris speaks during the roll call in the parking lot of the YMCA in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020. Police gather outside for roll call six-feet apart as they discuss topics, including the city mask ordinance. (Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
The officers talk briefly about enforcing the mask requirement that the Anderson City Council passed Thursdayfor restaurants, retail, salons and some other businesses.
Officer Jared Burriss recounts thatsomeone already had asked him about it at Walmart on Liberty Highway.
The officers say they plan to educate people about the mask requirement first and try not to issue citations on their first encounter with someone who isn't complying.
TD Essential Market on Main Street, Greenville |Anderson County Farmers' Market, Anderson
The TD Essential Market in Greenville was limited to 40 vendors.
All the vendors and most of the customers wore masks. Free masks were offered to customers upon entrance. The city used cones in the middle of Main Street, signs and several banners to illustrate and encourage 6feet of social distance between people. Tables with large bottles of hand sanitizer were also placed in the middle of Main Street.
Devin Byrne was there selling products from Blue Ridge Creamery, not his usual gig.
Byrne, 30, said he had been laid off from his full-time job as a baker because of the pandemic and has had to move in with his parents.
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He said he is thankful that the people at Blue Ridge Creamery have helped him. He was selling their products at the market.
Its been great to learn a new trade, to kind of get an idea of how to make cheese, he said. Id never done that before, also being from Wisconsin, its kind of nice to get an idea of my ancestors.
At thefarmers' market in downtown Anderson, an electronic sign flashed messages related to COVID-19, reminding people to wear masks and practice social distancing. Signs taped to tables bore the message: "Shop with your eyes, not your hands. Please allow the grower to handle produce."
Rev. Emmanuel Donaldson, left, stamps a senior farmer's market nutrition program 2020 voucher for five dollars of produce from Linda Wells of Belton at the Anderson County Farmer's Market in Anderson Saturday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
While other vendors sold tomatoes, cucumbers and homemade bread, Karen Brandt sold homemade cloth masks. She started making them about four years ago when her sister battled cancer.
She started making them again in February because of COVID-19. She said her business at the market has been steady.
Anderson Jockey Lot
This open-air flea market between Anderson and Belton draws thousands from the Upstate and from neighboring Georgia and North Carolina on a typical weekend.
On Saturday, hundreds of cars filled the gravel lot. Only about 20% of the people who were there late morning were wearing masks.
Customers browse at booths in the Jockey Lot flea market near Anderson on Saturday, July 25, 2020.(Photo: Kirk Brown/Greenville News)
Table space sells cheap for dozens and dozens of vendors, so variety here abounds. Last weekend, the mix included a booth with only socks, a stand with tomatoes and cantaloupes, a woman offering Simply Tide detergent, a table with jewelry and a man selling fried Oreos.
Among them was Dwight Hauser, who had driven from Hickory, North Carolina, to sell Trump 2020 T-shirts and yard signs. Hauser was also selling masks, but was not wearing one.
"I don't really think that masks do any good," he said. "If I'm required to have one to go in a store, I'll wear one."
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Greenville Convention Center
The parking lot of the Greenville Convention Center has dozens of cars, vans and larger vehicles in it.
They bear license plates from New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Idaho, Virginia, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Alabama.
Some of the plates are personalized, with word like "Labrador," "Bernese" and "Rotts."
People are here for the Carolina Foothills Dog Show Cluster, an event that this year is not open to the public, but still draws participants and judges from a swath of the United States.
Dave King traveled from Corinth, Mississippi, to show Yorkshire terriers and to be a vendor of crates and other items.
He said he had done one other show in Oklahoma about three weeks ago, but before that, most of the dog shows dried up in mid-March.
He took a break from loading his vehicle in the parking lot.
"Things are different this year, that's for sure," he said. "Even in there. There's social distancing, there's no obedience portion, there's no rally. Still, it's good for us and good for the dogs to be doing what they are used to doing."
King, who was wearing a mask, said he wasn't concerned about being at the event during the pandemic.
"You have to do what you can to take care of yourself, wash your hands, get your Vitamin D being out in the sun," he said.
John Wilusz, the general manager of the Convention Center, said in an email that the show would normally need a group event license, but that wasn't necessary this year because it was closed to the public.
" Keep in mind that the event is taking place in 230,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, so social distancing is very workable. The show organizers have been diligent in enforcing a policy requiring face coverings."
He said that city staff had worked closely with event organizers.
"We have taken a very measured and responsible approach to the resumption of business," he said. "So far we are pleased with the results."
Twelve Mile Recreation Area, Central
The gatekeeperkeeps close count of the people driving into and out of Twelve Mile Recreation Area, a docking and beach area on one of Lake Hartwells tributaries near Daniel High School.
The smell of charcoal from a familys barbecue fills the air and the sounds of children splashing in the swimming area filter through the trees.
Boaters gather on Lake Hartwell at Big Water Marina for the Meals on Wheels of Anderson Hartwell Lake 2020 Poker Run in Anderson Saturday, July 24, 2020. The event with 110 preregistered boaters benefits Meals on Wheels Anderson helps the organization provide meals to 400 elderly and disabled homebound in the county.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)
Kayla Motes came to spend a day in the water with her daughter. Its a normal Saturday activity for the family from Easley.
And during a pandemic, normal is needed, she said.
Everything is different. If youre in a store, people look at you crazy if you go down the aisle in the wrong direction, she said as she put a neon yellow pool float in her car.
Motes wasnt wearing a mask, nor was anyone else on the beach.
Im away from people ... I really treat this situation the same way I do with the flu. I dont see a difference.
Near Ice Cream Station, Simpsonville
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48 hours of COVID-19: What pandemic life looks like in the Upstate - Greenville News
