The petition says: “Physicians in South Carolina are standing in solidarity with our colleagues in Florida who have petitioned their state government to end mandates that restrict appropriate healthcare measures.”
“The most recent data in South Carolina shows the rate of daily cases is over 2,000 over the past week. These are the highest numbers we have seen since February 2021 and it is not reaching a plateau but continuing to increase at an alarming rate. With school starting this week and next in South Carolina and the rate of spread of the delta variant among the unvaccinated population, we have every reason to believe the case rate will explode in the coming weeks.”
The petition also urged everyone who is able to get vaccinated immediately.
McMaster Seems to Ignore Fact that Children Cannot Get Vaccinated and Thus Have Zero Protection from Covid
Full Text of Petition
Physicians in South Carolina are standing in solidarity with our colleagues in Florida who have petitioned their state government to end mandates that restrict appropriate healthcare measures. We have all been battling the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year and have done everything in our power to protect the general population and care for them to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately, decisions have been made that have now restricted appropriate safeguards from being implemented in our schools.
With the rise of the Delta variant, we have seen both an increasing rate of spread and severity of disease. The most recent data in South Carolina shows the rate of daily cases is over 2,000 over the past week. These are the highest numbers we have seen since February, 2021 and it is not reaching a plateau but continuing to increase at an alarming rate. With school starting this week and next in South Carolina and the rate of spread of the Delta variant among the unvaccinated population, we have every reason to believe the case rate will explode in the coming weeks. Though the rates of severe disease and death have still been relatively low in children, if the case rates increase exponentially, we will see these numbers rise due to the sheer volume of cases. Furthermore, we have already seen increased rates of other respiratory illnesses, such as RSV, occurring simultaneously. We have very real concerns about the ability of our hospitals to handle the increased volume with the current resources.
The frustrating thing with all of this is that we know we can prevent so many poor outcomes by trusting the science and doing two things – vaccinating everyone who is eligible and masking. We urge everyone who is able to get vaccinated immediately. This is our best protection against COVID. We urge our government officials to state unequivocally that vaccines are safe and effective. We urge them to put more time, money and effort into vaccination education and resources. But even if every unvaccinated South Carolinian received a vaccine today, we know they would still not have full protection for several more weeks and cases are spiking now. Our next best defense against this virus is masking. Our children, especially those under 12 who are not able to receive the vaccine, are at high risk of contracting COVID in schools. The science is clear – masks work to prevent the spread of the virus. We urge Governor McMaster and our elected leaders to listen to the physicians of the state. Repeal the ban on mask mandates. Allow our local health departments to guide school boards in mandating masks when local spread is high. We urge school boards and leaders to mandate masks when the rate of spread is high. Please protect the health and well being of the children of South Carolina. We are the people you trust when your life or your child’s life is in danger. We urge you to trust us now.
