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

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

DHEC reports nearly 1,500 new infections and a high amount of deaths

At least 67,396 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 1,117 have died, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Saturday, public health officials reported 1,481 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 39 new confirmed deaths from the virus, one of the highest announced amounts of death since the outbreak began.

Saturday cases may be lower than reality though as DHEC reported that its “data report contained incomplete laboratory information.”

The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus was not announced on Saturday as DHEC changes how it reports on hospitalizations at the federal government’s request, the agency said.

DHEC said there were 1,593 patients in hospital beds as of Friday “who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19,” and 72.34% of hospital beds statewide are currently filled.

Public health officials estimate about 86% of people in South Carolina who have contracted the coronavirus since March have not been tested. That means the actual number of cases since the pandemic hit the state is about 481,421, The State reports.

A third of residents infected at Beaufort County nursing home

The coronavirus has spread rapidly at a Beaufort nursing home over the past month, pushing the facility onto the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, which has proven deadly in similar senior care facilities across the state.

At Beaufort Nursing and Rehab, 40 residents have contracted COVID-19, and three residents have died from, according to data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

It ranks among the nursing homes with the largest outbreaks in South Carolina over the past month, according to data current as of July 13.

The nursing home director said the facility is taken extra preacuations, monitoring the situation and following all CDC and state health department guidelines.

School nurse group weighs in on reopening plan

The South Carolina Association of School Nurses is calling on Gov. Henry McMaster to rethink a directive he issued Wednesday pushing schools to hold in-person classes five days a week, The State reported.

In a letter to McMaster, the association says that schools are not prepared to reopen, and that individual school districts should decide how and when to reopen for themselves using guidance from state and federal health agencies.

McMaster’s call to resume a normal school schedule has been met with pushback from educators and teacher organizations, as it contradicts advice established by the state’s education task force, as well as the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

SC State won’t have fall sports

S.C. State University won’t have football, or any other fall sports, this year. Thursday, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference postponed all sports for the semester, The State reports. The league left open the possibility of moving the season to the spring.

The Ivy League and the Patriot League already had decided to postpone fall sports.

“Obviously this is an arduous decision because everyone wants to have a fall season for student-athletes, fans and others,” MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said.

“Part of our responsibility is to ensure the mental and physical health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff is paramount. It is imperative that everyone recognize that is our first and foremost responsibility,” Thomas said, according to The State.

First dog in SC tests positive

A shepherd mix in Charleston County is the first dog to test positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, according to the state veterinarian. The 8- or 9-year-old dog had to be put down because it had a chronic health condition, McClatchy News reports.

The dog’s owner tested positive for the virus before a private vet decided to test the pet. Charleston County has been hit particularly hard recently as case numbers spike around the state. DHEC has reported hundreds of cases each day in Charleston.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pets can get the virus from humans, but the risk of people getting the coronavirus from dogs and cats is low.

What’s the plan for SC schools?

Gov. Henry McMaster called on South Carolina’s schools to reopen for in-person classes after Labor Day. The governor said school districts should give parents a choice between in-person instruction and virtual classes.

“Try as we might, virtual education is not as good for most children than face-to-face with an excellent qualified teacher,” McMaster said during a press conference Wednesday.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in South Carolina, there’s growing concern that opening schools could make the outbreak worse, according to The State.

Teachers pushed back against the plans, The State reports.

The Palmetto State Teachers Association and grassroots teacher organization SC for Ed oppose the plan. The association said reopening with in-person classes “would be irresponsible and dangerous,” according to The State.

The daily coronavirus case counts now are much higher than when the state shut down schools in the spring, the group said. “We believe this action would needlessly jeopardize the health and safety of our state’s 800,000 students and more than 50,000 teachers.”

Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said the decision on whether to hold in-person classes, or continue distance learning, should be up to individual school districts.

“I want children back face-to-face five days a week as well. Logistically, there are districts who cannot do that and offer good social distancing and safety measures for students and staff,” Spearman said. “I could not support what is a mandate that they all offer five days a week.”

Many oppose school reopening, social media analysis finds

Social media discussions about reopening South Carolina schools show that there’s little support, at least online, for resuming in-person classes any time soon, analysis by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab found.

From July 1 to 14, 28% of comments and posts on the topic of reopening were “negative,” meaning opposed, and 12% were “positive,” in favor. Another 60% were neutral, according to the insights lab.

Support has fallen dramatically since Wednesday, when Gov. Henry McMaster announced his intention to see schools reopened and offering in-person classes five days a week, after Labor Day. Educators and teacher groups were quick to push back, and social media discourse seems to reflect that.

Only 4% of comments between July 15 and 16 were positive, and 31% were negative.

This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 7:06 AM.