Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on June 18

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

Record numbers continue

At least 21,533 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 621 have died, according to state health officials.

On Thursday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported an additional 987 cases of COVID-19, shattering the previous one-day case count record of 802 set last week. DHEC officials have recorded at least 350 new cases each day since June 4.

State health officials also reported four additional deaths in Florence, Kershaw and Lancaster counties.

More than 8.4 million cases of COVID-19 and 453,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, more than 2.1 million cases and 118,000 deaths have been reported.

‘Wear a mask,’ health official pleads

With Coronavirus case counts reaching record highs across South Carolina, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell is pleading for residents to follow COVID-19 health guidelines, The State reported.

“Every one of us has a role to play in stopping COVID-19. This virus does not spread on its own. It’s spread around our state by infected people who carry it wherever they go — their work, the supermarket, the post office, a friend’s house. By not following public health precautions, many are putting all at risk,” Bell said.

Health officials, and Gov. Henry McMaster, have in past weeks asked that the public take safety recommendations seriously, but Bell’s comments Thursday were some of “the most forceful yet,” according to The State.

“It is essential that each of us, every day, wear a mask in public and stay physically distanced from others,” Bell said.

Lawmakers divvy out COVID aid

South Carolina lawmakers are looking at how to spend $1.9 billion in federal coronavirus aid.

Proposals for the money include shoring up the state’s unemployment fund, which has been hard hit during the pandemic shutdown, reimburse local governments for spending on the virus, improve rural broadband access and other programs, The State reports.

The S.C. Department of Education could see funding for “summer catch-up camps” to help kids get ready for the new school year and add five days of instruction to next year’s calendar, according to The State.

See the full list of funding proposal from the coronavirus aid package on The State.

Horry County employees await test results

Almost 60 people who work for Horry County government are on medical leave or working from home after possible exposure to the coronavirus, The Sun News reports. The workers include people in the solicitor’s office, the police department and the detention center.

Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, has become a hot spot for new infections since the state began reopening. DHEC reported the highest one-day increase in cases Wednesday for Horry County with 120 more people testing positive.

Tourists say they contracted COVID-19 in Myrtle Beach

Eight tourists who went to Myrtle Beach recently say they contracted the coronavirus while on vacation, according to The Sun News.

The tourists, all from from Preston County, West Virginia, tested positive after they visited the beach town, the county health department said.

Two sheriff’s office workers test positive

A guard at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center and a Sumter County deputy tested positive recently for COVID-19, officials say. They are both in self-quarantine at home.

No detainees at the jail have tested positive for the virus, The State reports. The officer in the jail, who has not shown any symptoms, is a supervisor with little contact with inmates, according to the newspaper

Models show deaths could surge

Coronavirus deaths could surge in South Carolina, with more than 2,800 dead by Oct. 1, according to data from the University of Washington. The statistical model shows that more than 200,000 people in the United States could die from COVID-19 by the same date, McClatchy News reports.

Outbreak at Loris nursing home

A nursing home in Loris, in Horry County not far from North Myrtle Beach, has the highest number of cases for a nursing home in the state over the past 30 days, DHEC said.

The Loris Rehab and Nursing Center reported 46 residents tested positive for the virus, including seven who died over the past 30 days, according to The Sun News. Twenty staff members also tested positive for the coronavirus during the same time period, the newspaper reports.

Where to get tested

There are 173 permanent COVID-19 testing sites in South Carolina. The list of screening sites and details on getting tested are available on the DHEC website.

DHEC also has 88 mobile testing events scheduled around the state. The mobile testing sites are part of the state’s efforts to test more people in rural and underserved communities in South Carolina. More information on the mobile coronavirus testing schedule is available on the DHEC site.

What people are talking about

The sharp rise in coronavirus cases in North Carolina has been getting lots of social media attention, according to an analysis by the University of South Carolina Social Media Insights Lab. Read more here.

This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 7:57 AM.