Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on May 12
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Latest coronavirus numbers
At least 7,927 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 355 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 147 new cases of the virus and nine additional deaths on Tuesday.
Patients who died were residents of Aiken, Darlington, Florence, Richland, Spartanburg, and Williamsburg counties.
Worldwide, more than 4.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported and more than 291,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.3 million cases and 82,000 deaths have been reported in the United States.
Absentee voting allowed for June primary
State legislators passed a bill Tuesday that will allow registered primary voters to request absentee ballots for the June 9 primary, according to The State.
This will ensure all South Carolinians registered to vote can still do so even if they would rather avoid the polls due to coronavirus concerns.
The bill sunsets on July 1, according to the outlet, and so will not be in effect when November general elections roll around.
USC considers furloughs
The University of South Carolina may discuss furloughing staff and cutting programs to make up for financial losses caused by the coronavirus, an internal email from Faculty Senate Chair Mark Cooper said, according to The State.
Cooper said USC’s budget shortfall is likely to be twice as bad as what the university faced in 2008, when the country entered the Great Recession.
“In addition to hiring freezes and across-the-board reductions, we can anticipate furloughs, with sharper cuts for high-income administrators,” Cooper said in the email.
Miss SC competition postponed
The annual Miss South Carolina competition is being pushed back to June 2021, The State reported.
Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization, which hosts the competition as well as the Miss South Carolina Teen contest, made the announcement Tuesday.
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of our candidates, their families, our competition volunteers, production team members and our South Carolina Princesses and Princes,” said Erin Gambrell, chair of the board for the Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization, in a statement. “We had already delayed the state competitions until August 1st but feel it is best to wait until next year so we are aligned with the plans of our national organization.”
Coronavirus and absentee voting
The South Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether fear of catching coronavirus is a valid reason to justify absentee voting, according to The State.
Justices heard arguments from Democrats, who favor expanding absentee voting qualifications, and Republicans who want to leave the rules as they are.
State approves $200 million to fight COVID-19
The South Carolina legislature voted to set aside $155 million to combat the coronavirus, and another $25 million to the Medical University of South Carolina to help fund testing, The State reported.
Also included is $15 million to protect voters and poll workers during the upcoming elections.
DMV offices to reopen
Most South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles offices will be back open five days a week starting Wednesday, The State reports. People will still need to make an appointment at SCDMVonline.com.
Two DMV offices, in Allendale and McCormick, will continue to only be open on Wedensdays, according to the department.
Horry Co. considers canceling state of emergency
Horry County Council members Tuesday debated ending the state of emergency for the Grand Strand county, The Sun News reports. The county attorney is expected to present a resolution Wednesday so Horry officials can continue to work on rebuilding the tourism economy in the Myrtle Beach area.
Horry County has been under a state of emergency since March. The county has had 267 people test positive for the virus and 18 people have died, according to DHEC.
State employees will return to work soon
Gov. Henry McMaster announced Monday that state employees ordered to work from home will be returning to their offices by June 3, at the very latest.
For almost two months, more than 55,000 state workers have been doing their jobs from home, The State reported. Meanwhile, 19,000 others couldn’t work from home and have remained on the job as normal.
More openings
McMaster said close contact businesses, including gyms, barber shops and salons, will be allowed to reopen as soon as next week, The State reported.
“With our increased capacity for testing the people of our state, it is time to responsibly and gradually get these small businesses back up and running,” McMaster said.
SC meets contact tracing goal
South Carolina now has more than 1,800 contact tracers at its disposal, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Monday.
Contact tracers can help prevent future COVID-19 outbreaks by identifying how infected patients came into contact with the virus. DHEC has 400 contact tracers on staff, with access to another 1,400 provided through two private companies, The State reported.
“With increased testing there will be an increase in the number of positive cases reported,” state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a statement. “This means we will need to increase the extent of its contact tracing, and we are prepared to do so.”
Calls to mental health hotline surge
Calls from South Carolina phone numbers to the federal Disaster Distress Helpline increased 1,300% between February and April, the highest level in four years, according to The Island Packet.
During April, when statewide lockdown measures were being implemented in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the number of calls peaked, according to the outlet.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 7:21 AM.