DVIDS – News – The South Carolina National Guard continues to support COVID-19 and begins vaccinating its first South Carolina civilians

Columbia, SC – The South Carolina National Guard today administered 76 COVID-19 vaccines to citizens of Palmetto State at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. This is the first time that the South Carolina National Guard Sul administers the COVID-19 vaccine to non-military personnel during its 301-day mobilization in support of the state’s COVID-19 pandemic efforts. The National Guard’s COVID-19 vaccination program is one of several missions that the South Carolina National Guard has been engaged in since it was deployed by Governor Henry McMaster in March 2020.

“For more than 10 months, the South Carolina National Guard has been side by side with our state partners in providing critical support to state agencies, local health providers, school districts and the South Carolina Department of Corrections,” said the US Army Major. Gen. Van McCarty, South Carolina’s deputy general. “It is an honor for our more than 470 soldiers on active duty to support the citizens of South Carolina by assisting with COVID-19 mobile test sites, food distribution programs in schools, medical examinations, hospital staff and logistics and vaccine administration. ”

Since March 2020, the South Carolina National Guard has maintained an active service force of just under 500 soldiers and airmen who carried out more than 788 missions, assisted with COVID-19 tests on more than 242,179 patients across the state, helped to provide medical surgeons to 10 hospitals, 229 clinically screened care patients in 6 different assembled care facilities, clinically screened more than 346,100 inmates at 17 different South Carolina Department of Corrections facilities, participated in 62 sanitation missions, delivered more than 18,139 meals and distributed more than 200,000 masks, 31,968 escudos and 205,825 gloves.

By order of Governor McMaster, the South Carolina National Guard was deployed for more than 300 consecutive days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjutant General is an important member of the state’s COVID-19 Unified Command Group, led by Governor Henry McMaster. The South Carolina National Guard’s Joint Operations Center was activated in conjunction with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division for a coordinated effort. In support of several state agencies, primarily the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina National Guard continues to provide flexible support, transferring resources as needed based on effort priority.

The South Carolina National Guard remains ready to support counties, state and local agencies and top respondents with resources for as long as necessary to support COVID-19’s response efforts in the state.