We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.

Latest cases

At least 4,917 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 150 have died, according to state health officials.

Ten deaths and 161 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state Thursday, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Seven elderly patients from Allendale, Fairfield, Lexington, Richland, and Spartanburg counties died, as did three middle-aged residents of Aiken, Anderson and Richland counties, according to health officials.

More than 2.7 million COVID-19 cases and more than 190,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., more than 868,000 cases and 49,000 deaths have been reported.

‘Maintain social distancing’

Putting a stop to social distancing measures in South Carolina could open the door for coronavirus to rebound, State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell told members of the Midlands Coronavirus Task Force on Thursday, according to The State.

“We are at the plateau, but we are not on a downward trend, and we want to see a downward trend,” Bell said. While the state works to reopen its economy, “I cannot emphasize enough that we have to maintain social distancing.”

Coronavirus cuts SC tourism dollars in half

The state is expecting to pull in half the money from tourism it should be getting, as people aren’t vacationing amid the outbreak, and likewise, restaurant operations are hobbled.

South Carolina made $24.5 billion from tourism last year, but officials say by the end of 2020 they anticipate $12.2 billion, The State reported.

SC not following White House guidelines

South Carolina is reopening at a pace of its own, and isn’t following guidelines laid out by the White House designed to balance the country’s economic interests with public health and safety, The State reported.

The guidelines recommend states wait to see a consecutive 14-day decline in new coronavirus cases, but that drop off hasn’t arrived in South Carolina.

“We have not yet seen a consistent decline in case reports,” Bell said during a Monday press conference.

73,000 file new jobless claims

The number of new unemployment claims in South Carolina ticked down for the first time in weeks to 73,116 last week, The State reports. About 88,000 filed new jobless claims in the state the week before.

The new unemployment claims numbers are still much higher than normal, driven by businesses shutting down to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Between the middle of March and early April, more than 340,000 people filed for unemployment in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Employment and Workforce.

Lockdown protest coming to Columbia

An in-car protest against restrictions and closures put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus is planned for downtown Columbia at noon Friday, The State reported.

Two Facebook pages with different names detail the event — Operation Gridlock SC Columbia Reopen & Rescue SC Economy, and Drive to Thrive SC.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook told The State, “We are aware of it, we are tracking it.”

“We are making sure they can have their event, with their safety and everybody else’s safety,” said Holbrook, who declined to identify event organizers. “They don’t plan on getting out of their vehicles, they indicated they intend to follow the rules of the road, not obstruct traffic — their plan is to be seen and heard.”

Steel mill laying off 130

Company officials say they will shutter Liberty Steel Georgetown for at least three months and temporarily lay off or reassign 130 workers.

The company said demand for wire rod produced at the mill is down because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Sun News reports.

New recruits headed to Parris Island

New recruits arrived in Parris Island this week for the first time since the Marine Corps stopped sending would-be Marines to boot camp at the end of March as the coronavirus pandemic spread, The Island Packet reports.

The new recruits, two companies of 300 to 500 each, will first go into quarantine for 14 days and attend video classes, the Marine Corps said. That’s half the number that would normally arrive.

Schools will remain closed

School buildings in South Carolina will stay closed for the rest of the academic year and K-12 students will finish the semester through online and distance learning, Gov. Henry McMaster announced Wednesday.

Public schools have been closed since March 15 and had been scheduled to reopen at the end of April. The governor said he will issue a new formal order next week to keep schools closed for the rest of the school year.

According to The State: “In his Wednesday announcement, McMaster emphasized that districts would have ‘flexibility’ moving forward with instruction, and touched on high school graduation, a major concern for seniors across the state.”

State parks will reopen May 1

South Carolina state parks will begin to reopen May 1, officials say. Trails, beaches, picnic areas, rivers and lakes will open for visitors, but picnic shelters, community buildings and park offices will stay closed.

Parks will allow a limited number of visitors so they do not get too crowded, The State reports.

Coronavirus in the sewage

Researchers say they found coronavirus in sewage at the wastewater treatment plant in Columbia.

If the virus spikes in treatment plants, that could tell scientists when there’s another outbreak of the coronavirus on the way for that community, The State reports.

Public health officials don’t have a baseline for how much of the virus to expect in the water, but that’s what University of South Carolina researchers said they hope to figure out.

This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 7:22 AM.