An open letter to the Governor of SC 

Your Honorable Sir,

As a wife, mother, nurse, and concerned citizen of South Carolina I am writing to you to ask for your help. We need to reduce our numbers here in SC. As I am sure you are aware, we are the third worst IN THE WORLD.  This can not stand. We need you, Sir, to be strong and take a stand against covid-19. YOU need to make the hard decision for a statewide stay at home order with a mandatory statewide mask requirement for visiting essential service locations such as grocery stores, gas stations, and healthcare facilities for one month. Just for one month. That should allow the number of cases in our state to decrease. Following the one month period of time, lift the stay at home order but continue to require masks. I know this will upset people (my own husband included) but we need to worry more about containment of the virus than feelings. 

We need a plan to prepare for schools to reopen by September at the latest. Schools are an essential service and should be treated as such. Split days or home/online options for those that want to stay home should be offered. It is a lot but if you start making decisions now, plans can begin to take shape. I support teachers and staff but our children NEED to be in school. Their very educational foundations are shaking and we need to return them to steady ground. 

We the people of SC need for you to stand up and make the hard choices. We need you to put our people before political affairs. You are an elected official that was chosen to serve this state and its citizens. I implore you to do whatever it takes to fulfill your mission to do just that. 

Respectfully,

Heather S. Tanner, RN