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TO MEMORIALIZE THE GOVERNOR AND ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE STATE'S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BY PRIORITIZING HOSPITALITY WORKERS IN COVID-19 TESTING AND INCLUDING HOSPITALITY WORKERS IN PHASE 1A OF THIS STATE'S VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLAN.
Whereas, tourism is a 23.8 billion dollar industry in this State, supports one in every ten jobs, and generates 1.8 billion dollars in state and local taxes; and
Whereas, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of transmitting and spreading the coronavirus has resulted in societal shut downs of many businesses in the tourism industry in South Carolina; and
Whereas, as the tourism industry attempts to recover, businesses face staffing difficulties as hospitality workers are required to stay home and quarantine due to potential and actual exposures and when they contract the coronavirus and must stay home to recover; and
Whereas, when a hospitality worker tests positive for COVID-19, disruptions in business often occur, including unexpected closures to allow other staff to be tested, and such closures negatively impact business and the livelihood of hospitality workers; and
Whereas, a greater effort must be made to help hospitality workers, the lifeblood of the tourism industry, stay healthy and able to work; and
Whereas, it is the sense of the General Assembly that Governor McMaster and his Acting Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control should consider the ability of hospitality workers to stay safe and able to work essential in rebuilding the devastation on the tourism industry, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, memorialize the Governor and Acting Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control to intensify efforts to restore the state's hospitality industry by prioritizing hospitality workers in COVID-19 testing and including hospitality workers in Phase 1a of this state's vaccine distribution plan.
Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Honorable Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina, and to the Honorable Marshall Taylor, Jr., Acting Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
This web page was last updated on December 16, 2020 at 4:34 PM