The mayor of a city in South Carolina explained on ‘Fox & Friends’ on Wednesday what led him to call a local Chick-fil-A driver when a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination center last week backed up and said the driver helped provide “a small mindset.”
Will Haynie, mayor of Mount Pleasant, said Jerry Walkowiak, manager of Chick-fil-A, could reduce the waiting time from one hour to 15 minutes after problems resulting from a computer error.
“It was Jerry who helped his community when it was most important,” Haynie told host Steve Doocy.
Friday, the computer error caused a traffic backlash at a vaccination clinic in Mount Pleasant, leaving people waiting up to an hour, Haynie explained. He said he then contacted Walkowiak, given his expertise and was asked by backup to help reorganize.
“Right at the beginning, the registration went down,” Haynie explained Wednesday, noting that he does not know what happened.
He pointed out that the Medical University of South Carolina has partnered with two local hospitals for the vaccination, which was held in the ‘giant campus’ of a Mount Pleasant church across from the manager of the Chick-fil -A Walkowiak. Haynie said more than 1,000 people registered that day to get the vaccine.
“Right at the beginning something happened and it was backed up and I planned to call Jerry anyway, just to get general advice, but when that happened, I needed him very quickly,” Haynie said.
“Jerry came and had us fixed,” he added.
Haynie tweeted on Friday a video of Walkowiak driving traffic while standing with an umbrella in the rain, writing: “Chic Fil A, a driver, Jerry Walkowiak, who donates his professional driving experience through our vaccination program today in Mt Pleasant to help. ”
“If you need help, call the benefits,” he further wrote.
Footage of the good deed has gone viral and received more than 33,000 views since it hit the internet on January 22nd.
CHICK-FIL-A ADD GRILLED SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH TO THE SPICE
“What Jerry did was that he helped us go from a medical type of mindset, where you talk to one person, to a retail mindset, where you figure out how to get as many cars through the first entrance as possible. get, “Haynie explains, adding that the waiting time ranged from an hour to about 15 minutes.
A spokesman for Chick-fil-A Inc., who was reached for comment, told Fox News that the vaccination site is located just across the street.
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According to Wednesday morning, South Carolina reported more than 423,600 cases of coronavirus among residents, with nearly 6,600 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Fox News’ Janine Puhak contributed to this report.