South Carolina’s Top Public Health Official Warns Senators About COVID Lessons
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A dire warning was issued by Dr. Edward Simmer, South Carolina’s top public health doctor, about the misinterpretations of COVID-19 lessons. At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Simmer raised concerns over a bill proposing to revamp how the state handles public health emergencies following the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the bill contained several detrimental propositions. Governor Henry McMaster echoed these concerns.
Proposed Changes in Public Health Laws Met With Caution
The proposed bill will prevent healthcare providers from mandating vaccines unless they have been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for a decade. This provision obstructs requirements for flu vaccines or other shots that receive annual updates to tackle mutating viruses, Dr. Simmer emphasized.
Furthermore, the proposed bill calls for the loosening of restrictions around visitation for patients in isolation and mandates the release of patients who are symptom-free from quarantine at an expedited pace. Simmer pointed out that this could prove problematic as some infectious diseases show symptoms only after a week or more.
“This Bill Could Cause Unnecessary Deaths”
Dr. Simmer warned senators, “There are a number of issues that we believe where this bill would cause harm to the people of South Carolina and would, in fact, cause unnecessary death amongst people of South Carolina during a public health crisis because it would prevent us from taking actions that could save lives.”
Mixed Responses Amid Legislative Consideration
The bill managed to pass the Senate subcommittee with a 4-3 vote, however, it still has to get through the Medical Affairs Committee and the Senate floor before being sent to the House. Raising further obstacles, Governor McMaster issued a letter stating his concerns with the bill, arguing that it might unreasonably restrict public health officials, emergency management professionals, law enforcement officers, and first-responders during times of crisis.
Despite strong opposition, the bill did find some support within the subcommittee. Some senators, who agreed with Simmer on several points, promised to mull over his worries while considering the bill. Meanwhile, supporters of the bill expressed their dissatisfaction over the isolation methods followed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Simmer Urges Lawmakers To Learn From The Past
Dr. Simmer urged lawmakers to consider the reality of what transpired during the pandemic, rather than making assumptions based on perception. He highlighted how many decisions, such as the isolation of entire facilities and visitors’ restrictions, were made hastily with limited data. He asserted these measures proved to be mistakes. The top doctor asked the lawmakers to draw lessons from actual events during the pandemic and apply them wisely to prevent a repeat of these errors in the future.
