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Message from Secretary Hitt: Mask up to prevent the spread

bobby quoteWe all have a role to play in slowing the transmission of COVID-19. To encourage accountability and help decrease the spread of coronavirus disease 2019, South Carolina public health officials have unveiled several initiatives aimed at protecting South Carolinians in the community and on the job. 

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's (DHEC) "Mask Up" campaign is a statewide program designed to encourage youth and young adults to embrace wearing a face mask. The messaging is targeted at South Carolinians between the ages of 21-30, as current DHEC data shows around 20% of confirmed cases in the state fall within this age group.

To supplement these efforts and encourage our state's citizens to take personal actions to fight the spread of COVID-19, DHEC has also launched StaySCStrong. This campaign - complete with an influencer video from South Carolina's own CammWess, a top three finalist in the most recent season of The Voice - contains extensive, free COVID-19 marketing assets that individuals and companies can share to encourage friends and coworkers to wear face coverings in public. 

Along with DHEC public health guidance and toolkits, business groups and trade associations throughout the state have compiled best practices to help ensure the safety of employees and customers. These resources can be found on S.C. Commerce's website

We all have a personal responsibility to heed the advice of health officials. With a variety of tools available, South Carolinians have easy access to valuable messaging that can help reduce the spread of the virus - with the ultimate goal of returning to a sense of normalcy.