“When COVID-19 first spread across the country, long-term care facilities were devastated, as the virus affected nursing home residents who were among the most vulnerable to the virus” said Dr. Edward Simmer, Director DHEC. “In South Carolina, efforts were underway to prepare long-term care facilities for the arrival of the virus, and DHEC worked with facilities to help implement disease prevention protocols. Still, we have lost many loved ones to this deadly virus. This is why we prioritize nursing home residents among the first to be vaccinated, and after a major effort across the state, almost all residents of long-term care facilities in the state have now had the opportunity to obtain their life-saving vaccines .
