It’s time for SC to get serious about allowing South Carolinians to vote by mail

On funerals

In the aftermath of six people dying from the coronavirus after attending a funeral in Kershaw, I find it unconscionable that some obituaries are still including invitations for relatives and friends to attend visitations and services inside buildings

Hopefully people will begin to use more common sense during this trying and dangerous time.

Caroline Jones, Columbia

On health care

Every day we see countless acts of appreciation for health care workers: free meals, discounts on gas, social media posts and storefront banners as people find ways to say “thank you.”

But here are some more things that we can all do to support our front-line health care workers during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.

▪ We can help to build the inventory of critical supplies: hospitals are facing shortages and disruptions in their supply chains at a time of rising demand. The South Carolina Hospital Association has launched a new online tool with the S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership, SCBIO and the S.C. Department of Commerce that is dedicated to sourcing and manufacturing these much-needed medical supplies.

To learn more, visit www.sccovid19.org.

▪ We can donate to some of the recent fundraising partnerships that have been set up.

For example, Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey — who wears uniform No. 22 — has launched “22 and You” to support hospital staff personnel in North and South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Southern Tide, a Greenville-based premier apparel brand, has unveiled a Healthcare Heroes collection with 100% of proceeds currently going to health care workers; the Items are available at SouthernTide.com.

And we can all check the websites of our local hospitals for information about how to make direct contributions.

▪ We can contact our elected officials to encourage continued support for grant, federal and state resources to support hospitals and their staff members. We’re grateful for the support that’s been provided by Gov. Henry McMaster, state legislators and our congressional delegation.

▪ We can heed the advice of experts to flatten the coronavirus curve. We should stay home if we can. We should wear gloves to protect ourselves and we should wear masks to protect others. We should practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Our health care heroes are going to work for us, so let’s stay home for them.

▪ We can remember the words of Winston Churchill: “We shall not falter or fail; we shall not weaken or tire . . . Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”

Thornton Kirby, CEO,

South Carolina Hospital Association,

Columbia

On voting

The people of South Carolina face many challenges today, but voting in upcoming elections should not be one of them. When our upcoming elections are held, we must have results that reflect the will of the voting populace — and voting by mail will allow for this.

I urge the decision makers in our state to make the necessary arrangements now for voting by mail.

Elizabeth Jones, Columbia

On the Fairgrounds

The editorial in the April 16 State Newspaper does not accurately reflect the S.C. State Fair’s commitment to its community in a time of crisis.

The fair has an ongoing partnership and agreement with DHEC to provide space and additional support in the event of a medical emergency. The agreement includes the distribution and dispensing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical materials, and the fair stands ready to provide these services if called on.

The column also did not reflect any prior communication between the fair and DHEC regarding timelines that such assistance may be deemed necessary in this instance.

The fairgrounds are routinely used as a staging ground for EMS vehicles and personnel, if needed. Most recently, the fair housed more than 100 EMS vehicles and some 250 EMS personnel on the grounds in the Goodman Building for several nights and days during a time of mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Dorian last fall.

Additionally, the S.C. State Fair offers its barns for equine evacuation in the event of a hurricane.

We agree that everyone should be good citizens during such times as this, but we feel it is prudent that the public be given all the facts regarding what steps area agencies are taking to provide support as it may be needed.

Nancy Smith, General Manager

South Carolina State Fair,

Columbia

This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 12:15 PM.