COLOMBIA, SC – The South Carolina National Guard vaccinated 76 citizens of the state of Palmetto at the Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet on January 7. This is the first time that the South Carolina National Guard has administered the COVID-19 vaccine to non-military personnel during its support of the state’s pandemic efforts. “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 Major Gen. Van McCarty of the US Army, South Carolina’s deputy general. Since SCNG was activated by Governor Henry McMaster in March, members have assisted in the COVID-19 test of more than 242,179 patients in the state helped provide emergency medical personnel to 10 hospitals, clinically examined 229 patients at six congregated health centers and more than 346,100 inmates at 17 state penitentiary centers, participated in 62 facility sanitation missions, delivered more than 18,139 meals and distributed more than 200,000 masks, 31,968 shields and 205,825 gloves. “It is an honor for our more than 470 soldiers on active duty to support South Carolina citizens by assisting with mobile COVID-19 test sites, school food distribution programs, medical examinations, hospital staff and vaccine logistics and administration ”Said McCarty. The deputy general is a key member of the state’s COVID-19 Unified Command Group by the governor in coordination with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. In support of several state agencies, notably the Department of Health and Environmental Control South Carolina, the South Carolina National Guard continues to provide flexible support, transferring resources as needed. For more news from the National Guard, Facebook National Guard TwitterHow the National Guard is helping Photos from CDC’s Latest National Guard Response
