South Carolinians must get serious about halting COVID-19 — or risk another shutdown
Getting South Carolina and South Carolinians back to work amid the coronavirus pandemic has been a critical priority over the past few months.
As one of the largest manufacturing companies in the state, Michelin has seen how much its employees and communities have suffered from COVID-19’s impact. As a company rooted in mobility, Michelin understands the importance of getting back to work to keep our businesses and communities moving forward.
Rooted in mobility doesn’t always mean moving fast, however; right now we need to focus on moving with purpose. This means remaining vigilant away from work just as we are while at work. And that’s why we implore our friends, neighbors and coworkers to take seriously the recommended precautions for protecting themselves and others against this unprecedented disease.
At the height of the lockdown, Michelin idled some facilities and sidelined close to 2,400 workers across its plants in South Carolina. The company wasn’t alone in doing so: our state’s unemployment rate quadrupled from 3.2% in March to 12.1% in April as businesses closed down to contain the virus. Clearly this was an unsustainable trend that would have led to economic calamity for our people and state had it continued.
While we acknowledge it is important to get back to work, it is equally important that we stay at work. This will be harder to do if our state’s disturbing COVID-19 trends continue.
When Gov. Henry McMaster lifted the statewide “Work-or-Home” order on May 4, our state had 7,588 total cumulative cases according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control website. In the next two weeks, however, it’s estimated that we’ll have 31,858 cases — an increase of 315%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, South Carolina now ranks fourth in the nation in the increase of coronavirus cases with the number rising by 138% in the last two weeks.
Again, that is not a sustainable figure.
We must act
But this doesn’t have to be our future.
As individuals and as companies we have the collective power to prevent a second wave of the disease from crashing over our economy. While we can’t prevent everyone from contracting COVID-19, we can work together to halt and reverse the disturbing trend of rising new cases.
In fact, we applaud leaders across the state who are taking steps to keep our communities safe — including the city councils in Greenville and Columbia, which recently passed emergency ordinances to require face masks.
If we don’t take steps like these, it is likely the state’s manufacturers — which account for 16.8% of the total economic output of the state — and other South Carolinian businesses will once again be forced to react. A second shutdown would have dramatically negative consequences on our economy, not to mention the lives and livelihoods of our employees, neighbors, colleagues and families.
We have instituted policies to prevent outbreaks, from enhancing our cleaning practices to requiring face masks be worn when people can’t maintain the recommended distance. We now need everyone to act with us — because the actions of individuals really do make a difference.
No complacency
Social distancing does matter, but it can only be effective if implemented consistently. And wearing a mask is not a political statement; it’s a common-sense response to the virus that prevents its spread.
COVID-19 is a unique crisis, but we’re only at its mercy if we’re complacent about it.
Doing your part can keep our state, our businesses and our families healthy, while honoring the first responders, hospital workers and medical personnel who have worked tirelessly to save lives. We are immensely grateful to them and to everyone else who has returned to work around our state.
But now we need to make sure we keep them at work.
Alexis Garcin is president of Michelin North America. Dr. Marcus Blackstone is the chief clinical officer for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 4:30 PM.