In response to the growing COVID-19 Delta Variant crisis, where only 44% of South Carolinians are fully vaccinated, Sen. Mia McLeod has proposed the following actions she would take as Governor, to strengthen South Carolina's COVID response and increase vaccination rates across the state:
- Request and distribute all available federal pandemic funding for South Carolina.
- Partner with the CDC, as well as federal and state public health experts, to ensure that SC is implementing best practices with regard to vaccines, variants, safety protocols, resources and other critical information.
- Advise local governments to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds and other COVID federal and state recovery funds to incentivize local constituencies to get vaccinated.
- Implement a statewide mask mandate until state vaccination rates are 70% and above.
- Require state employees to get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID testing.
- Require school-aged children, ages 17 and under to show proof of immunization to COVID-19 and related variants (as applicable) to attend SC public (K-12) schools, colleges & universities.
- Appoint public health ombudsmen (by county and/or region). This multicultural, multiethnic, multidisciplinary team of public health experts and community leaders, supported by marketing campaign strategists, will partner with local health departments to collaboratively field questions, address concerns, disseminate accurate info, resolve complaints, develop & promote targeted pro-vaccination public awareness campaigns and increase accessibility to vaccines; Utilizing these types of public-private partnerships will help debunk myths, dispel rumors, counter misleading rhetoric and fears caused by targeted misinformation and provide much needed guidance, goal-setting and measurable action steps to reach herd-immunity.
- Partner with local businesses & trucking companies to provide refrigerated trucks to county health departments for the purpose of storing and preserving vaccines that must be stored in frigid temperatures.
Sen. Mia McLeod had the following to say on the current COVID response by Governor McMaster and how her proposals would bolster the state's response while increasing vaccination rates:
“Governor McMaster has shown time and time again that he lacks the courage to lead us through this pandemic. The people of South Carolina need to know their Governor has their back. We are one of the least vaccinated states in the country. As the Delta variant rips through our communities, cases across SC are skyrocketing with more senseless, preventable deaths piling up at the Governor's feet. Doing nothing as this deadly variant sickens and kills our citizens is utterly unconscionable. My proposals are science-based, common sense solutions to tackle the COVID-19 Delta Variant head-on, while we work to increase vaccination rates across the state and protect our people from the dangerous, deadly impact this variant is having on our unvaccinated. South Carolinians deserve a Governor who will put the people of SC first—not his re-election bid. We simply don't have that type of compassionate, courageous leader in Henry McMaster. But when I'm Governor, we will.”
