Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on June 26

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

Cases pass 30,000

At least 30,263 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 694 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Friday reported an additional 1,273 cases of the virus, the state’s highest one-day increase so far.

Health officials reported one confirmed death Friday in an elderly Greenville County resident.

A total of 906 hospital beds were filled Friday with people who have the coronavirus or are suspected of having it, up from 881 Thursday, DHEC said.

More than 9.6 million cases of COVID-19 and 491,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, more than 2.4 million cases and 124,000 deaths have been reported.

Infection rates high for SC beach visitors

Anybody who has been to a Palmetto State beach recently should get tested for the coronavirus, officials said Friday.

“If you’ve gone to the beach, you’ve likely come in contact with somebody who is positive, but perhaps asymptomatic,” Joan Duwve, director of public health with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said Friday.

Infection rates are particularly high among young beach-goers, Duwve said, adding she has reports of entire groups catching the virus from their visits.

DHEC to draft new nursing home plan

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has been tasked by Gov. Henry McMaster with developing a plan to allow family members to visit close relatives who live in nursing homes, and to do so safely, The State reported.

Restrictions on nursing home visits have been in place in the state since April to protect residents from COVID-19, as they are especially vulnerable to the disease. But McMaster said there’s danger posed by isolation and loneliness, too.

“Not having people going into the nursing homes of course has reduced the spread, we believe. But it has also increased the feeling of isolation, the mental, emotional strain and other problems,” he said. “But we are going to develop a plan to allow loved ones to see their loved ones in these nursing homes, but again, we’ve got to be very, very careful.”

DHEC acting director Marshall Taylor said the department is looking at a phased approach to reopening nursing homes, and that it would be issuing guidance permitting outdoor visits by next week.

McMaster: Statewide mask rule would be ‘impossible’

Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday he will not implement a statewide face mask mandate to slow the spread of coronavirus, saying it would be “virtually impossible” to enforce, The State reported.

“It’s not the right policy for government. It’s not what the government needs to do,” he added.

Still, McMaster once again urged residents to wear masks and try to social distance.

“We’re telling you in the strongest most urgent terms to follow these rules and wear those masks,” the governor said. “You know when you need to wear it, and when you need to wear it, put it on.”

High school football teams can get fined over COVID rules

The South Carolina High School League voted Thursday to put some teeth behind its coronavirus guidelines for football teams, according to The Rock Hill Herald. The league made its guidelines requirements as high school teams get ready to start practice for the upcoming school year.

Teams that break the rules, that include social distancing and some mask requirements, could be fined and penalized with lost practice days and could even be kicked out of participating in the playoffs, The Herald reports.

Charleston votes to require masks

The City of Charleston will join Columbia and Greenville in requiring people to wear face masks in public.

The new rule goes into effect July 1 and people can face a $50 fine if they don’t wear a mask, The State reports. The order will last 60 days. There are some exceptions, but generally everyone over 10 years old will be required to wear a mask in public.

The ordinance also asks parents to try to make sure children over 2 years old wear masks when in stories and restaurants.

High school students infected during beach trip

A group of Columbia high school students went on a week-long trip to the Grand Strand in early June and then tested positive the coronavirus, according to The State.

They were clustered together throughout the trip, often not wearing face masks, sources told the outlet.

“The only way you should be going to the beach is with your family, and if you go out, you should social distance and wear a mask,” a Columbia-area health care professional who is close to the high school cases told The State. The worker asked not to be identified out of concern for the privacy of the health community.

Other sources said there have been numerous instances of young people heading to the Grand Strand and getting infected.

Hilton Head considers mask mandate

Hilton Head leaders are considering requiring people to wear masks on some parts of the island.

Hilton Head Mayor John McCann called for a special town council meeting Monday morning to consider the mask ordinance, The Island Packet reported.

Some people were critical of Hilton Head during the RBC Heritage golf tournament, saying the town was not taking the pandemic seriously.

“It’s an absolute zoo around here,” golfer Justin Thomas said during the tournament last week. “There’s people everywhere. The beaches are absolutely packed. Every restaurant, from what I’ve seen when I’ve been driving by, is absolutely crowded.”

What people are talking about

Will South Carolina public schools return to in-person instruction this fall? The University of South Carolina Social Media Insights Lab looked at what people are saying about it online. Read more here.

This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 7:24 AM.