Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 10

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

Positive test rate plummets

At least 124,397 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 2,823 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday reported 264 new cases of the virus, continuing the state’s trend of falling case counts. But experts say fewer tests may be a factor — the average number of tests performed in September is down significantly from previous months.

An additional 24 coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday.

The DHEC on Thursday reported a positive test rate of 6% — the lowest it has been since July — compared to 14.3% the day before. The World Health Organization and state health officials recommend 5% or lower to bring the transmission of COVID-19 under control.

Columbia teacher dies due to COVID-19

A 28-year-old elementary school has died after being infected with COVID-19, Richland County School District 2 officials announced Wednesday.

Demetria Bannister, who taught at Windsor Elementary School in Columbia, died Monday. She had just started her third year of teaching third grade at the school.

“With heavy hearts, (Richland Two) administrators share this information with permission from Ms. Bannister’s parents who wish to remind others about the seriousness of this disease caused by the coronavirus,” spokeswoman Libby Roof said in a release.

The last time Bannister was at the school was Aug. 28, the final teacher workday before the start of the school year.

The district said it has followed all proper procedures since learning Bannister was infected with coronavirus on Sept. 4.

McMaster: SC is ready for vaccine once available

Though a coronavirus vaccine is still likely months away, South Carolina is already prepared to distribute one when it becomes available, Gov. Henry McMaster said Thursday.

White House officials have been expressing hope a vaccine might be available by late October, but McMaster and state health experts had cautious expectations, saying they do not know when a vaccine will be ready.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked leaders in all 50 states to start preparing for a vaccine. South Carolina has already been doing so for months.

When a vaccine becomes available, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control will be in charge of distributing it, McMaster said.

Federal ‘surge testing team’ coming to Columbia

Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator behind the White House’s coronavirus response, said the federal government will be sending a “surge testing team” to the Columbia area, to expand COVID-19 testing in the community.

Birx’s comments came during a Thursday visit to Columbia, in which she met with members of the University of South Carolina community.

“We want to ensure that cases are found because people will be enormously responsible if they know that they’re positive and they will do the actions that they need to protect others,” Birx said at a news conference in the USC new Alumni Center. “We just need to make sure that people have the access to testing and we encourage testing.”

The team is expected to arrive later this week or early next week.

Public Health Director to leave DHEC

A top official with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control is stepping away from her post just a few months after taking the job.

Dr. Joan Duwve, the Director of Public Health for DHEC, is leaving to go work for the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday on Twitter.

“Today, I am announcing that Dr. Joan Duwve has agreed to serve as the Director of the @OHdeptofhealth. A native Ohioan, she is a medical doctor, with extensive experience in public health,” DeWine said.

Three inmates die from COVID-19 this week

Three inmates at the Broad River Correctional Institution died this week due to COVID-19, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

The three men, Terry Lee Allwine, 61, Paul Earl Jeter, 73, and Sam Harold Smith, 78, all had underlying conditions, according to SCDC. Including them, five have died of the coronavirus at the Broad River facility, and 21 SCDC inmates have died across the state.

Age error pointed out in death data

On Monday, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control reported a child died due to COVID-19, but the Sumter County Coroner’s office is now saying the individual was actually in his or her 80s.

After hearing about the child death that supposedly happened in his county, coroner Robbie Baker checked with DHEC and the agency determined it made a mistake.

“It’s my understanding the date of birth was incorrectly submitted,” DHEC spokeswoman Laura Renwick told The State.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 6:48 AM.