Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on June 2
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Deaths reach 500
At least 12,415 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 501 have died as of Tuesday, according to state officials.
On Tuesday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 285 new cases of COVID-19. This is the fourth consecutive day health officials have reported more than 200 new cases.
The department also reported one additional death in Horry County.
More than 6.3 million cases of the virus have been reported worldwide and more than 380,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, more than 1.8 million have tested positive and more than 106,000 people have died.
Will protests spread virus?
After big protests in Columbia and Charleston, public health officials worry there could be a spike in coronavirus cases coming later in June, The State reports.
Doctors and public health officials told The State that yelling and singing in protests could spread the virus and that tear gas makes it easier for people to infect others.
An infectious disease expert at the Medical University of Charleston said the protests last weekend are part of a new pattern in South Carolina where people are starting to once again crowd beaches, visit stores, go back out in public and not wearing masks. That could all lead to the virus continuing to spread, The State reports.
Gamecocks coach tests positive for coronavirus
University of South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin tested positive for the coronavirus last month, The State reports.
The longtime Gamecocks coach said he did not have any symptoms when he was tested before a knee surgery in early May. Martin self-quarantined and later tested negative, according to The State. No other members of his family tested positive, Martin said.
New record for mail-in voting
State election officials say requests for mail-in ballots are at an all-time high for the June 9 primary.
S.C. State Election Commission officials said they had never issued more than 60,000 absentee ballots for a statewide primary, The State reports. This year the commission has sent out 128,000 mail-in ballots for residents.
Lawmakers decided in May to allow anyone to vote absentee in the primary because of the ongoing pandemic. The temporary mail-in voting law expires before the General Election in November.
Testing sites for Tuesday
The state health department is hosting mobile testing sites across South Carolina. The sites for Tuesday include:
Pamplico: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hannah-Pamlico Elementary/Middle School, 2131 S. Pamplico Hwy.
Myrtle Beach: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tidelands Health at the Market Common, 2200 Crow Lane
Greenville: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Greenville Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive
Gaffney: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cherokee Medical Center, 1530 N. Limestone St.
The Gaffney testing site is by appointment only. You do not need an appointment for the other mobile sites. The state has more than 150 permanent testing sites. The list of sites to get tested for coronavirus is available on the DHEC website.
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 officials had to say in The Island Packet investigation.
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 7:23 AM.
