SC Gov. Henry McMaster has his head in the sand | Letters
Gov. Henry McMaster, please get your head out of the sand.
His latest announced measure, stopping the sale of alcohol in bars at 11 p.m., will do nothing to slow the COVID spread. Bars should be shut down. Restaurants should be closed to indoor dining. And for God’s sake make wearing a mask in public mandatory.
South Carolina COVID testing is overwhelmed, with results sometimes taking longer than 10 days to come back. Emergency rooms are stacking patients up with no ICU beds available. Large S.C. hospitals have started turning away patient transfers.
Why is McMaster doing half measures? Come on! Let’s show other states how determined South Carolinians are to beat this virus. I beg McMaster to please lead us.
Ginny Paternite
Bluffton
What’s changed, Gov. Cuomo?
Given the spike in new cases of COVID-19 in numerous states, including South Carolina, I certainly understand and have no objection to the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitors from those states. The governors appeared together on a broadcast during which New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement.
Therefore, I can’t resist pointing out the hypocrisy of Cuomo. At the end of March, as his state was experiencing a rapid increase of new cases of the virus, he ripped into the governor of Rhode Island when she imposed the same requirement on New Yorkers and instructed state troopers to stop vehicles bearing New York plates so that National Guard officials could collect contact information from the vehicles’ occupants and inform them of the mandatory quarantine. In addition, Rhode Island authorities went to vacation-home colonies looking for New York license plates in order to advise those visitors to quarantine for 14 days.
Cuomo doubted the legality of Rhode Island’s action and threatened to sue. He noted that New York officials were discussing the matter with Rhode Island officials, and added, “If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island.” He labeled the policy reactionary and illegal.
What’s changed, governor?
Kathy Allen
Beaufort
America now a pariah nation
The European Union formally barred visitors from the United States due to our number of COVID-19 cases and a failed national response to this crisis.
As I read the news, I reflected on 2018, when President Donald Trump referring to developing nations as “s**thole countries.” Ironically, citizens of several of the countries he disparaged will be admitted into Europe because they have implemented suitable public health measures and have managed to keep their cases down.
Until we have a vaccine, there are very simple things we can do to slow the spread of this virus; wash our hands, practice social distancing and, yes, wear a mask.
A mask is not a political statement. It is a tool that will enable us to work and travel safely and avoid additional lockdowns that could subtract 5% from the GDP.
In reality, the unmasked “defenders of freedom” have jeopardized our very real freedom of movement, and both interstate and international commerce. In addition to being barred from Europe, business travelers from South Carolina, Texas, Florida, etc., have to quarantine in New York for 14 days upon arrival.
For those who voted for “America first,” we are now first in coronavirus cases, but fall behind Rwanda, Thailand and Uruguay when it comes to public health.
If you support American isolationism, we are now indeed isolated – but as a pariah on the global stage. Failed public policy on a state and national level, and counterproductive behavior are the true impediments to restoring our economy.
Lisa Lemen
Hilton Head Island