.png)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug 3, 2021
Sen. Jackson Urges Legislature to Reconsider COVID-19 Response
Columbia, SC - State Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland) released the following statement urging his colleagues in the State Legislature to reconsider South Carolina’s COVID-19 response as the Delta variant spreads among unvaccinated people and case numbers grow:
“Cases of COVID-19 are once again on the rise in South Carolina. The state of the pandemic when we passed our annual budget this year was vastly different from where we stand now. Unfortunately, due to low rates of vaccination in our state, a variant of the virus has pushed us back in our progress to beating it.
“With the new data available to us, I think it is time we reconsider our ongoing response to the pandemic. We need to be able to protect people, and we need to get more shots into arms.
“I am urging my colleagues in the State Legislature to give back decision making authority to local governments and school districts, so they may do what's best for their communities. The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is spreading among the unvaccinated quickly, and some places will need to resort back to wearing masks. A budget proviso shouldn’t stand in the way of this.
“We also need to incentivize getting the vaccine. Many states have done lotteries or other programs with great success, and there’s no reason South Carolina shouldn’t follow suit. With a well-coordinated outreach program and encouragement we can raise our vaccination rates before the virus gets out of control again.
“When the State Legislature returns soon, I hope that this will be a top priority. The sooner we adjust our response to COVID-19, the sooner we can get back to normal and stay that way.”
###