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…
COLUMBIA, S.C. ― The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the South Carolina Department of Education are joining forces to create and promote vaccine awareness and immunization opportunities for parents, students, and staff for the 2021-22 school year. Across South Carolina we are seeing a dramatic rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases, and schools and the activities surrounding them will present even more exposure opportunities for our children. The…
Access the slides presented by Dr. Crystal Watson, Dr. Andrew Pekosz and Dr. Josh Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. COVID-19 Federal Assistance e311 Resources – visit https://bloombergcities.jhu.edu/program/e311/resources
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and the increasing threat of the Delta variant, the CDC on Tuesday is recommending public indoor masking for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. This includes masking for teachers, students, parents and visitors in K-12 schools. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is adopting the federal agency’s updated guidance and is recommending all South Carolinians, including those who are fully vaccinated, wear their masks when…
The City of Columbia is partnering with Prisma Health, SC DHEC and Lexington Medical Center 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. Please see the upcoming vaccination clinic at Drew Wellness Center, 2101 Solomon Way from 1 p.m. until 4…
Public Health Officials launch a $5 million grant assistance program to fund enhanced community vaccine awareness and understanding The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced the agency is accepting grant applications from organizations to help expand awareness and information about the COVID-19 vaccines and help increase vaccination rates in South Carolina. Our goal is to vaccinate as many eligible South Carolinians as possible and help end the COVID-19 pandemic….
Today, the CDC issued its COVID-19 prevention guidelines for K-12 schools ahead of the 2021-2022 academic year. The guidelines were released two weeks before some of South Carolina schools begin their fall semester, and as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is preparing its guidance for public schools across the state. The CDC’s guidelines can be found here. They include: Schools should fully reopen for in-person education to the greatest extent…
Dr. Traxler: “Don’t miss your shot to participate in school sports, band, and other activities; Roll up your sleeves and get the COVID-19 Vaccine.” COLUMBIA, S.C. — With some schools and colleges beginning their 2021-2022 school years in the coming weeks, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is strongly encouraging all students, ages 12 and up, to get vaccinated so they can protect themselves and others against COVID-19. It is important…
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) June 23 news release urging children 12 and older and young adults to get their COVID-19 vaccination. The federal department, along with the physicians, nurses, and parents joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Heart Association, and more than a dozen other health organizations, in a joint statement on rare…
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The final first doses of COVID-19 vaccine at the Community Vaccination Clinic (CVC) at Columbia Place Mall were administered yesterday, capping off an eight-week mass vaccination site that has made South Carolina a safer and healthier place to live. South Carolinians and visitors from other states received more than 21,000 doses of vaccine at the FEMA-supported, large-scale vaccination clinic, which was a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental…
