Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on July 22

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

More than 74,000 confirmed cases

At least 74,761 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 1,203 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Wednesday reported 1,654 new confirmed cases of the virus and 39 additional deaths.

Charleston County had the most new coronavirus cases reported Wednesday, at 190, followed by Richland County with 173.

USC: students must get tested before move-in

The University of South Carolina will require students to show proof they’ve been tested for the coronavirus before they’re allowed to move into on-campus housing, The State reported.

Any one of the three must be submitted to the university’s My Health Space portal before arriving on campus:

▪ Proof of prior COVID-19 infection;

▪ Proof of presence of COVID-19 antibodies;

▪ Proof of negative COVID-19 test results taken within 10 days of scheduled move in day.

Anyone who doesn’t will have to quarantine themselves in non-university housing, at their own expense, until test results are made available.

Clemson to start fall with online classes

Though Clemson University has said for months it would resume in-person classes in the fall, the school changed its stance Wednesday, announcing that the first few weeks will be held remotely, The State reported.

“The safety of our Clemson community is paramount,” University president Jim Clements said in a tweet. “As a result, we will start the semester online and delay in-person classes by 4 weeks due to the progression of COVID-19 in South Carolina and the Upstate region.”

In-person classes are now scheduled to start Sept. 21, and a new student move-in date has been set for Sept. 13.

Top election official worries about November

State Election Commission Director Marci Andino is raising the alarm about possible coronavirus-related problems with the November election.

Andino wrote to the heads of the state House and Senate to ask for help to prepare for the election. In the letter, he asked “that immediate action be taken so election officials have as much time as possible to ensure we can rise to the greatest challenge to our election system our state has ever seen,” according to The State.

The presidential election is expected to draw high turnout for the more than 3.3 million voters in South Carolina. The elections chief said staff could have trouble getting a quick count on absentee ballots and may face a shortage of poll workers or have to consolidate polling places, The State reports. Andino also said he was worried about social distancing at polling places.

He asked lawmakers to expand absentee voting so polls don’t get crowded and people are able to vote without waiting in line or worrying about catching the virus while voting.

National Guard headed to Myrtle Beach area

Troops with the National Guard are scheduled to arrive along the Grand Strand on Wednesday to help hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients, The Sun News reports.

According to DHEC, there have been more than 7,700 cases of the coronavirus in Horry and Georgetown counties.

S.C. National Guard clinical personnel will help staff five hospitals in the two counties, according to Tidelands Health.

National Guard building field hospital in Orangeburg

The Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg requested help from the South Carolina National Guard to construct tents outside the main building to house COVID-19 patients in case of overflow, the Island Packet reported.

Work on the temporary facilities began last Wednesday, with assistance from the Guard.

Matthew Hinkle, Regional Medical Center vice president of operations, said the tents are not currently needed but are “to prepare for any additional spike in COVID-19 cases that could outstrip current bed capacity.”

Orangeburg County has the seventh highest COVID-19 case rate per capita in the state, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Poll: Many parents say it could take a year to get back to school

A new poll from Chernoff Newman, a Columbia-based marketing firm, shows many parents in South Carolina think it could take up to a year for students to safely go back to school, The State reports.

The statewide poll found that 21% said they are already comfortable sending students back, and 14% said they will be comfortable sending students back to school at the end of the summer. But 43% of parents said it could take up to a year for them to be comfortable sending students back, and 17% said it could take more than a year.

Read other results from the statewide poll on the coronavirus.

This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 7:23 AM.