Dorchester County Council has extended the Mask Ordinance for Unincorporated Dorchester County until the regularly scheduled Council Meeting on Tuesday, September 8th.
On Wednesday, August 12th the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) provided an analysis of jurisdictions with mask ordinances in place. DHEC’s findings show:
- Nearly 40% of residents, or approximately 2,000,000 South Carolinians, reside in jurisdictions that have local mask requirements in place.
- When comparing the jurisdictions that have mask requirements in place to those that do not, the jurisdictions with mask requirements have shown a 46.3% greater decrease in the total number of cases after the requirements were implemented.
“This new data shows us what we already knew, wearing face masks works,” South Carolina state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said. “We will be in a much better position in four to six weeks if South Carolinians practice physical distancing and use a mask. Together, we can completely reverse our fortunes and create safe environments for our business recovery, for our lifestyle recovery, and particularly for our students returning to school in a few short weeks, but we must act more aggressively, and now.”
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, residents should continue to:
- Practice social distancing
- Wear a mask in public
- Avoid group gatherings
- Regularly wash your hands
- Stay home if sick
Mobile Testing on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Dorchester County and MUSC Health have partnered to offer mobile COVID-19 testing at Gahagan Park located at 184 West Boundary Street (between Lincolnville Road and Gahagan Road) in Summerville.
Drive-thru testing is available (weather permitting) every Tuesday and Thursday, 8 am to noon, through Tuesday, September 29th.
Currently, all insurance providers in South Carolina are covering the full cost of COVID-19 testing. Patient insurance information will be processed during testing. Co-pays or deductibles will not be charged. All patients will be served regardless of their ability to pay.
Click here for further info.
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