Midlands sheriff hospitalized with COVID-19 says he’s very sick
Although he’s hospitalized with COVID-19, saying the coronavirus is horrible, Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster is doing what he can to remain active with his department.
“This stuff is no joke. It is for real,” Foster told The State Tuesday. “I have had a tough go.”
Foster said he has been hospitalized since last week, not long after he and his wife, Carol, tested positive for COVID-19 in early January.
He said he’s receiving excellent medical care from a great team, but didn’t provide details on the treatment he’s receiving.
“I am in a hospital and not well, but there are a whole lot more worse off,” Foster said.
Even though he’s been “very sick,” Foster told The State he has remained in constant contact with the command team and staff at the sheriff’s office.
Along with maintaining daily communication with his department, Foster said he has not missed a day speaking with other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
“Our team is highly trained and motivated and have made sure all is running smoothly,” Foster said. “In fact we have not missed a beat.”
But the sheriff, a Democrat, said he’s been bothered by things he’s seen posted online about COVID-19. He wants people to stop spreading “internet conspiracies” and politicizing the coronavirus.
“It is just the nonsense that it is not real or that bad, and it revolves around one political view or the other,” Foster said. “It ain’t no politics here. (COVID-19) is very real to me.”
Foster said he was exposed to the virus because of his role as sheriff, saying, “I caught this on the job.”
After one negative test, Foster found out on Jan. 4 that he was confirmed to have the coronavirus. His wife was diagnosed the next day, according to Foster.
At that time, the sheriff, who has held the office since first being elected in 1988, said, “I pray we survive.”
Before testing positive for COVID-19, Foster said he was taking precautions that included “walking around smelling like hand sanitizer and wearing a pretty good mask.”
But being exposed to the coronavirus was bound to happen because of his lifestyle, where he is often conducting business in crowds, Foster previously said.
One example was on Dec. 30, when Foster was sworn in as sheriff for the ninth time at a ceremony where all of his deputies, among others, were also in attendance.
It was at that event when Foster told his deputies, “I love you all and I truly appreciate what you do for me and I really am proud of what you do for the people of Newberry County,” the Newberry Observer reported. “Especially today, when we are going through political strife and the pandemic.”
Foster is described as “active in the community” and “leads by example with a hands on approach,” according to his bio on the Newberry County website.
He’s getting support from the community now.
On Monday, a post on Facebook asked for prayers for Foster. Members of the Newberry First Baptist Church congregation were asked to pray “quickly and fervently,” after Foster called into a televised church service.
It said Foster’s suffering complications from COVID-19, and he “needs a miracle.”
“I appreciate all the concerns from across the state and nation,” Foster told The State. “It has been a bright light shining in a very dark place.”
Foster is not the only Midlands sheriff to test positive for COVID-19. On Dec. 16, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott confirmed he had the coronavirus.
Like Foster, the first test Lott took had a negative result, but further screening showed the Richland County sheriff had COVID-19. Following a period of self-quarantining, Lott was cleared to return to work on Dec. 23.
Some other well-known people with South Carolina connections who have tested positive for the coronavirus include Gov. Henry McMaster and his wife, Peggy; Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette; USC President Bob Caslen; Gamecock men’s basketball coach Frank Martin; Masters champion and Irmo native Dustin Johnson; former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham; and Nancy Mace, who defeated Cunningham for the state’s 1st District congressional seat.
Through Tuesday, 357,508 cases of COVID-19 and 5,673 coronavirus-related deaths have been confirmed in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In Newberry County, there have been 3,073 positive tests and 69 deaths, data shows.
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This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 2:34 PM.
