Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on April 12
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Latest coronavirus cases
At least 3,319 people have tested positive for coronavirus in South Carolina, and 82 people have died, according to public health officials.
Officials reported 113 new cases and two deaths Sunday, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Berkeley County reported the most new cases with 16, and 15 new cases were confirmed in Richland County, DHEC said.
More than 1.7 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 107,000 deaths as of Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 519,000 confirmed cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
Probation employee tests positive
An employee of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services has tested positive for the coronavirus, officials say.
The Lancaster County worker is now self-isolating, and the agency has identified and notified the people he or she was near.
It’s unclear how the person contracted the virus.
Hilton Head reverses course on rentals
Three days after the Hilton Head Island Town Council shut down short-term rentals, it has reversed their decision, The Island Packet reports.
One town council member said that since the board passed the ordinance, Hilton Head leaders have faced “massive threats of lawsuits against the town.”
Many Hilton Head residents had been asking the town to do more to stop tourists from going to the island to slow the spread of coronavirus in the Lowcountry, The Island Packet reports..
With the new vote, short-term rentals can continue to host tourists as long as they are not from COVID-19 hotspots with domestic travel advisories, including New York and New Jersey, according to The Island Packet.
Pet adoptions surge
More people are adopting pets from some South Carolina shelters as they stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The City of Columbia Animal Services shelter hasn’t been this empty in years, The State reports.
“On our craziest, worst days in the summer we could have as many as 500 (animals) in the facility,” said Marli Drum, who has worked there more than two decades. ”But (right now) we probably have less than 50 animals.”
Animal shelters across the country have reported a spike in adoptions and volunteers hoping to foster animals.
This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 6:38 AM.
