IMPH Executive Director Maya Pack spoke with WLTX on Jan. 27, 2021, regarding IMPH and DHEC’s COVID-19 2020 Summary Report, which explores the impact of the coronavirus on South Carolina since March 2020.

The Institute of Medicine and Public Health in South Carolina released a report along with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control on COVID-19's impact in the state in 2020. 

Maya Pack is the Executive Director of the South Carolina IMPH. The 2020 report is set to help lawmakers make informed decisions on COVID-19 recovery efforts, according to Pack. 

“People need to be tuned in to the impact of the pandemic because right now, it’s getting worse," Pack says, "Things will get worse before they get better. And there’s a lot of help with the vaccine and the vaccine rollout happening right now but it’s going to be several months before the majority of our population is able to be vaccinated. So we all need to continue to be vigilant with face masks, they say now wear two, and social distancing.”

The report lays out data concerning the effects of the pandemic including deaths, testing, and hospitalizations among other things. 

Read the full story by Emily Correll here.