South Carolina businesses need to recover from COVID. That means vaccines in arms

McMaster, legislature holding us back on COVID

As a public health professional with more than 30 years of experience, I cannot believe how terrible the response to the pandemic has been from Gov. Henry McMaster and the General Assembly. They are doing everything to keep the state from moving forward.

McMaster’s comments regarding door-to-door vaccination drives are woefully ignorant. No one is being coerced. (July 10, 1A, “McMaster bans door-to-door vaccinations, calling it bad policy”)

Many of the communities with low vaccination rates suffer from the fallout of decades of medical racism, and understandably have some concerns, which require truthful health information. And now, children do not need to wear masks on school buses, despite the fact that most children are not vaccinated. Let’s add to this preemptive legislation banning municipalities from implementing mask mandates.

We have public health laws in this country that override other laws in a public health emergency. These laws allow the government to order isolation and quarantine. They also allow other actions provided they are not more restrictive than they need to be. We are still in a pandemic. Nothing has been done that violates that rule.

The governor needs to listen to the experts and not people who spew ignorant conspiracy theories. As for his dig at Dr. Anthony Fauci: Scientific information is modified as more information is discovered through research.

- Janet Place, Columbia

Business won’t recover if the people don’t

Gov. Henry McMaster attempting to stop health care employees from going door-to-door to promote getting vaccinated is an incredibly stupid action. The purpose of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is to execute practical public health policy free from partisan politics.

Vaccinations save lives. We continue to be last or first in so many rankings where we don’t want to be. If we want South Carolina businesses to recover to pre-pandemic levels, then you need to look no further than having a high vaccination rate in the state. However, remarks that the governor is making are what keeps businesses from wanting to locate in South Carolina — unless you consider luring JUUL here a success. Pathetic.

- Barry Myers. Irmo

Want good teachers? Then pay them

I recently read a quote by South Carolina House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, a York Republican. in The State. He said, “It’s difficult to hire and retain talent,” justifying the significant pay increases given to some state agency heads. (July 12, 1A, “List of top-paid state agency directors include three women”) The story should have been about recruiting and retaining our public school teachers.

South Carolina has long ranked near the bottom of the nation in quality education. Currently, we are 48th of 50. (Feb. 16, TheState.com, “SC continues to be one of the least-educated states in America, study shows”) Our schools cannot keep certified teachers. Many classes are taught by substitute teachers with the help of school bus drivers.

Our teachers are highly trained professionals, but the average teacher salary is $55,548 as of June 28, 2021. Five state agency directors, however, recently received significant pay increases. One such person received a 48% salary increase and now is being paid $265,000 annually.

If you are concerned about a student who is having trouble reading or comprehending what they read, remember: “It’s difficult to hire and retain talent.” Perhaps our well-paid state agency heads can spare time to help in our classrooms too.

- Elizabeth Jones, Columbia

South Carolina isn’t convinced COVID is so deadly

At the time The State Editorial Board published “No, forced vaccinations aren’t coming to your door. How SC officials promote vaccine facts” on July 12, South Carolina had 8,662 deaths from COVID-19. The state has a population of 5.149 million. That means COVID-19 has killed 0.168% of South Carolineans — one-tenth of a percent and change.

I’m not minimizing COVID-19 deaths at all. But I know more people who have died from heart disease than COVID-19 (about 22% of all deaths in South Carolina in 2008 were from heart disease, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. And heart disease isn’t contagious.

What I’ve said isn’t lost on many South Carolineans. Death is a powerful motivator for humans. And if South Carolina humans aren’t seeing enough death near them, they are going to say, “Nope I don’t need something to prevent something that has a low chance to kill me.” That is life.

Unless you are willing to physically force Americans to get vaccinated, you are stuck in “strongly encouraging and advising” mode. And that is the best that can be done lest we turn into something unrecognizable and way more destructive.

- Tyrone Steels II, Florence

This story was originally published July 18, 2021 at 6:00 AM.