Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on May 22

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

Most recent numbers

At least 9,638 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 419 have died as of Friday afternoon, according to state health officials.

On Friday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 245 new cases of COVID-19. Three additional deaths were also reported.

New deaths were reported in Spartanburg and Jasper counties.

More than 5.1 million cases of COVID-19 and 336,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, more than 1.5 million cases and more than 95,000 deaths have been reported.

Venues to reopen ‘soon’

Gov. Henry McMaster said he’s planning an announcement soon on reopening entertainment venues like theaters, night clubs, bowling alleys, and strip clubs.

The state closed the businesses in April to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, The State reports.

“Some of these venues take a little more thought than others, but we’re getting information,” the governor told reporters Thursday. “We’re hoping to be making announcements soon.”

Home sales tanked in pandemic

Home sales dropped by more than 20% last month in South Carolina, The State reports.

New listings for April were down almost 30% and pending sales dropped by almost 36%, according to the South Carolina Realtors Association.

The real estate report wasn’t all bad news. About 6,800 homes did sell in South Carolina in April, and median sale prices went up over the same time last year.

Unemployment at record high

South Carolina’s unemployment numbers have hit an all-time high, The State reports. As of April, the state has reached record levels of unemployment, both in the number of people out of work and the percentage.

South Carolina’s unemployment is at 12.1%, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. That’s up from 3.2% in March.

Between March and April the number of unemployed people jumped by more than 210,000. More than half of those losses are in the leisure and hospitality industry, The State reports.

A nurse in every school?

AcceleratedEd, a state task force providing recommendations for reopening K-12 schools, wants to see full-time nurses on staff in every South Carolina school when classes start again in the fall, The State reported.

“Just important as having a resource officer in a school, every school needs a full-time nurse,” state schools superintendent Molly Spearman said.

The move would cost $10 million to $15 million. Officials said it would be a temporary precaution in response to the coronavirus.

SCDOT to lose $293 million

With so few motorists on South Carolina roads due to coronavirus restrictions, the state Department of Transportation is projected to lose out on $293 million over two years in car and gas sales tax revenue, The State reported.

This could throw a wrench in road work plans, though not in the short term, officials said. As for the state’s 10-year construction plan, officials were less certain.

30,000 more unemployment claims

South Carolinians filed almost 30,000 new claims for unemployment last week, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce.

More than 500,000 people have filed first-time unemployment claims since the coronavirus pandemic began to shut down the state’s economy in March, The State reports.

The department said it has paid out more than $1.35 billion to unemployed people in South Carolina from a combination of state and federal funds.

Renters could get $1,500

State housing officials say renters who lost their jobs because of the pandemic could get $1,500 from the South Carolina Housing Finance and Development Authority. To qualify, renters have to make 80% or less of the area’s median income, The State reports.

Evictions in South Carolina were suspended as restaurants, bars and other businesses were shut down, but evictions are now allowed to resume in the court system.

This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 7:27 AM.