Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on June 1
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Deaths hit 500
At least 12,148 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 500 have died as of Monday, according to state officials.
On Monday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 297 new cases of COVID-19. Public health officials have reported more than 1,300 new coronavirus cases in the past four days.
The department also reported six additional deaths. Officials reported two deaths both in Colleton and Fairfield counties, and one each in Horry and Lexington counties.
More than 6.2 million cases of the virus have been reported worldwide and more than 373,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, more than 1.7 million have tested positive and more than 104,000 people have died.
Testing sites for Tuesday
DHEC is hosting mobile testing sites across the state. The sites for Tuesday include:
Pamplico: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Hannah-Pamlico Elementary/Middle School, 2131 S. Pamplico Hwy.
Myrtle Beach: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tidelands Health at the Market Common, 2200 Crow Lane
Greenville: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Greenville Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive
Gaffney: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cherokee Medical Center, 1530 N. Limestone Street
The Gaffney testing site is by appointment only. You do not need an appointment for the other mobile sites. The state have more than 150 permanent testing sites. The list of sites to get tested for coronavirus is available on the DHEC website.
Midlands hold in-person graduation ceremonies
Two high schools in the Midlands held in-person graduation ceremonies for 2020 seniors on Monday, The State reports.
Spring Valley and Lexington high schools allowed between two and four family members per student to attend. At Lexington, everyone was given hand sanitizer, had their temperatures taken and were required to wear face masks.
“Graduation looks a little different for us this year, which is a change, but we have been preparing for change for the past 13 years,” Lexington High School student body president Aubrey Ferrell said. “Our class is prepared for adversity better than any other thanks to this pandemic.”
Unemployed residents file DEW complaints
More than 100 South Carolinians filed complaints with the state inspector general’s office about delays and difficulties filing unemployment claims, The Island Packet reports.
The governor began putting emergency orders in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus in March, shutting down entire sectors of the economy. Unemployment spiked to historic levels in the state with hundreds of thousands of people without jobs within weeks.
Many people had to wait hours or days to get through to the Department of Employment and Workforce, according to The Island Packet.
The inspector general’s office received 111 complaints about the department and problems with the unemployment system since South Carolina declared a state of emergency. Read the complaints about unemployment and hear what officals had to say in The Island Packet investigation.
Lawmaker tests positive
State Rep. Kambrell Garvin, a Richland County Democrat, said he tested positive for the coronavirus. He said he started to feel sick on May 26 and quarantined himself because of the symptoms, according to The State.
Garvin, 28, is the first state lawmaker to confirm that he contracted the virus.
Complaints filed against nursing homes
South Carolina’s nursing home residents account for more than a third of the deaths attributed to COVID-19, according to The State.
Complaints filed with state regulators accuse two dozen nursing homes of not doing enough to protect aging residents against the virus, the newspaper reports.
Earlier reporting from The State and The Island Packet found that the virus spread quickly through some nursing homes, with more than half of the residents getting infected in at least 10 homes.
Hundreds show up for testing in Myrtle Beach
The line of cars for free coronavirus testing in Myrtle Beach wrapped around the block outside the Pelicans baseball stadium over the weekend, The Sun News reports. DHEC and Tidelands Health are planning more free drive-thru test sites over the next two weeks in Horry and Georgetown counties. Get the list of free testing sites from The Sun News.
State public health officials have more than 100 mobile testing clinics scheduled. See the DHEC website for details on where and when to get tested for the coronavirus.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 7:36 AM.
