COLUMBIA, S.C. — According to Senator Wes Climer, the Senate passed a supplemental funding bill on Tuesday for the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) to help the agency’s Coronavirus response.
In addition to providing an additional $45 million in funding, the bill gives DHEC additional flexibility to reposition health care assets (machines, masks, materials, etc.) around the state as circumstances evolve.
- Staffing ($14,598,760): DHEC needs additional staffing to support COVID-19 disease surveillance and contact investigation, laboratory testing and information phone lines.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ($14,806,800): PPE for DHEC’s healthcare workers to prevent spread of infection
- Staff Support ($5,282,420): Operating costs such as technology, lab supplies and reagents, travel and facility cleaning
- Education Campaign ($2,500,000): Support for TV/Radio airtime and printed materials.
- Quarantine ($1,703,580): Cost to quarantine and support indigent patients
- Transportation ($1,394,958): Cost to courier lab samples and distribution of items from the Strategic National Stockpile
- Contingency ($5,000,000):10 percent for unanticipated costs or changing assumptions based on disease spread
- The legislation also stipulates a rigorous oversight and reporting process through the State’s Executive Budget Office, which will both ensure that the funds are allocated efficiently and help policymakers better understand the efficacy of these programs as circumstances evolve.
For helpful resources and more information about the state’s response to Coronavirus, click HERE.
