Quin Hatten

COLUMBIA, S.C. ―Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is updating its online reporting of COVID-19 Associated with Students & Staff to help parents, caregivers and school officials have additional data about COVID-19’s impact on schools. DHEC has been working with the S.C. Department of Education to implement a new weekly reporting tool for schools and districts that captures how many students and staff were in quarantine and isolation the previous…

As coronavirus cases rise, the City of Columbia is urging citizens to get vaccinated and is offering several free vaccine clinics. The City of Columbia is partnering SC DHEC to host FREE COVID-19 vaccination clinics at city operated facilities. The city is increasing vaccination efforts across the Midlands as a part of the Mayor’s “It’s YOUR Shot, Columbia” campaign to inform Midlands citizens of the free, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations.  In September, SC DHEC will…

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― In recent weeks, several members of the media, the legislature and the public have inquired about the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s authority to issue a statewide emergency order mandating masks in schools. DHEC’s position on this issue came after careful legal analysis of the governing statutes and extensive internal consideration by agency leadership and the DHEC board. The emergency authority previously referenced allows DHEC to respond quickly to…

  Resilient Columbia: Maintaining Service Delivery During the Pandemic (PART ONE)  Resilient Columbia: Maintaining Service Delivery During the Pandemic (PART TWO)  In May 2021, the City of Columbia celebrated National Public Service Recognition Week. During the week, our Public Relations, Media and Marketing Department highlighted the hard work and dedication of our employees. Continuing with that theme, City departments compiled information about various accomplishments, challenges, and outlines of daily operations during the pandemic. Those are…

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Citing the alarming rate at which children are requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19, the South Carolina Children’s Hospital Collaborative (SCCHC) on Wednesday announced it is now providing a daily report showing the number of hospitalized children (ages 0-17) with COVID-19, the number of those children requiring ICU care, and the number requiring a ventilator. The organization also is calling for state leaders to do everything “in their power to protect children by…

Hospitals are currently overwhelmed due to the surge of critical COVID-19 cases. Get vaccinated to reduce your risk of severe illness and needing emergency care. Visit scdhec.gov/COVID19 for more information. Do not call 911 or go to the emergency room if you: Want information about COVID-19 Need a non-emergency doctor’s visit Want to get tested Have mild symptoms* *Call your primary healthcare provider if you have mild symptoms, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath….

The City of Columbia Public Relations, Media and Marketing Department has won an award of excellence in the 2020 Palmetto Awards. The team was recognized in the category of “communication for the web” for the Resilient Columbia microsite. The award was received from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) South Carolina chapter. The International Association of Business Communicators is one of the largest organizations of its kind dedicated to the advancement of the communication…

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― Below is a statement from Dr. Edward Simmer, Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 16 and older. This full approval from the FDA further indicates how safe and effective the vaccines are at preventing severe illness from COVID-19.  There continues to be an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from…

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following an analysis that revealed more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths in June and 86 percent of hospitalizations were among individuals who were not fully vaccinated, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has determined similar findings for the month of July. From July 1-31, DHEC reported 26,848 cases among South Carolinians. Among the 14,262 reported cases where we were able to determine vaccine status, 12,491 (88%) of…

As a state, we are bracing to hit a sobering milestone this week—10,000 South Carolinians will have died due to COVID-19. While statistics are useful to measure data, there is no statistic for grief in a milestone for those who have lost family members and loved ones. As South Carolinians, we remember those who are no longer with us and express sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones. On the day we reach…