Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on July 31

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

Another MIS-C case reported

At least 88,523 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 1,647 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Friday reported an additional 1,346 cases of the virus, down from 1,636 on Thursday.

An additional 45 deaths were reported Friday, down from 48 reported Wednesday.

Officials on Friday reported an additional case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, bringing the total reported in South Carolina to six cases. The disease, which is associated with the coronavirus, can cause organ swelling in children.

‘High-risk’ voters want expanded ballot access

Two voters in South Carolina considered “high risk” for the coronavirus have asked the state supreme court for an emergency hearing seeking expanded access to ballots for the November election.

They asked the S.C. Supreme Court to “declare the state’s election law unconstitutional and widen voting ahead of November, arguing the state has failed to guarantee access to the ballot for all people during the pandemic,” The State reports.

The petition specifically seeks access to early voting, drop-box absentee returns, curbside voting polling locations and online absentee applications.

Myrtle Beach hospitals near capacity

Four Myrtle Beach area hospitals — Conway Medical Center, Grand Strand Health, McLeod Health, and Tidelands Health — have taken out television and billboard ads to encourage South Carolina residents to follow health and safety guidelines for the coronavirus.

“What we’re asking you to do is take all the proper measures, wear the mask, watch your distance and wash your hands,” said Dr. Gerald Harmon from Tidelands Health.

Harmon told the Myrtle Beach Sun News Tidelands health is operating at 99% capacity with only two empty beds.

Staffing is also an issue, with more than 60 employees testing positive for the virus, and the threat of Hurricane Isaias doesn’t help.

“An evacuation is not going to be an option, and we all probably shelter in place, making sure that our patients and our community stay safe and that we’re available when they need them when they need us,” said Monica Vehige, an administrator from McLeod Loris Seacoast Hospital.

Masks will be required in schools

Students returning to South Carolina’s public K-12 schools will be required to wear masks.

The announcement on Friday from school officials came just days after S.C. schools superintendent Molly Spearman said face coverings would be required for everyone on public school buses.

The latest requirement will apply to all students and staff, except for those who have breathing problems or can’t remove a face mask on their own, The State reported.

“As we prepare to welcome students and teachers back to South Carolina classrooms for face to face instruction, it is imperative that we implement measures that are proven to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” Spearman said in a news release. “Requiring the use of face masks for everyone in our school buildings in combination with other mitigation tactics will help ensure that we have safe learning environments even when optimal social distancing is not feasible.”

SC courts institute mask mandate

Donald Beatty, chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court, has ordered all employees and visitors to wear a face covering inside courthouses across South Carolina, The Rock Hill Herald reports.

“The rule applies to all county courthouses, and courts for cities, towns and magistrate offices,” according to The Herald.

Courthouse security will enforce the order, which also requires anyone entering the building to have their temperature checked. Those with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will not be allowed to enter.

Millions in unemployment at stake for SC residents

About 150,000 residents in South Carolina currently receiving unemployment insurance will see their maximum weekly payments drop significantly after the $600 per week enhanced federal unemployment benefits expire Saturday.

Congress is still working to restore some of those enhanced benefits, with some Senate Republicans proposing reducing the weekly payments to $200 before “shifting the payments to replace 70% of previous wages within 60 days,” The State reports.

The progressive Century Foundation estimates that kind of reduction would mean South Carolinians receiving $96 million less in unemployment benefits per week and $863.8 million less by the end of September.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate was at 8.7% in June, according to The State.

Spread slows in cities with mask rules

In the absence of a statewide mandate, cities across South Carolina that have adopted mask rules of their own are seeing slower coronavirus spread, The State reports.

Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg and Beaufort have seen a significant decline in COVID-19 growth, in contrast to surging virus activity prior to implementing mask requirements. An analysis of ZIP code data also found slowing growth in Columbia, Lexington, Camden, Orangeburg, Rock Hill and Sumter.

Masks deserve the credit, Michael Schmidt, a professor who works at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Microbiology and Immunology Department, told The State.

“Since the governor has strongly encouraged mask wearing and the municipalities are requiring mask wearing … the trend has gone down,” Schmidt said.

Midlands jail hit by COVID-19

Nearly a fourth of the staff at Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center, 10 out of 45, are in quarantine due to coronavirus.

Seven officers have tested positive for the virus, while three others are caring for family members who have contracted it. So far, only staff have tested positive, The State reported.

This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 7:13 AM.