Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 12
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Number of new daily cases spikes
At least 127,646 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 2,891 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Saturday reported 827 new cases of the virus, a far cry from the 264 new cases reported Thursday.
An additional 17 coronavirus-related deaths were reported Saturday.
The DHEC on Saturday calculated a positive test rate of 13.7%, up significantly from a sudden drop to 6% the day before.
USC, Clemson report new cases
The number of positive test results at Clemson University climbed for the second straight week on Friday while the University of South Carolina reported a decline.
Clemson announced 24 new cases in the athletics department, which encompasses 19 student-athletes across nine sports. The university reported 18 positive tests last week, including 14 student-athletes.
USC’s numbers, meanwhile, have dropped off in recent days, The State reported. There were 501 active cases as of Thursday, down from 654 reported Tuesday.
The decline mirrors a drop-off in testing at the university, The State reported.
USC was “forced to pause saliva testing after a ‘key lab staffer’ became ill.” Testing resumed Tuesday at a limited capacity.
COVID-19 cases among K-12 students climb
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control released the latest twice-weekly coronavirus case numbers for K-12 schools on Friday, revealing almost 60 more students have tested positive for the virus.
That brings the total number of cases in South Carolina’s schools to 296 — 195 of which are students, The State reported. DHEC reported the remaining 101 cases belong to teachers.
State health officials previously reported 138 COVID-19 cases among students and 95 among teachers.
It’s the first week all school districts in South Carolina have resumed classes, according to The State, but not all are attending in-person classes every day.
DHEC names interim director
Dr. Brannon Traxler, the chief medical officer for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, was named the new interim public health director on Friday.
“I have the utmost confidence in Brannon’s ability to lead the state’s public health efforts during these challenging times,” DHEC’s acting director Marshall Taylor said. “Brannon’s breadth of experience and knowledge in medical practice as a surgeon as well as the Chief Medical Officer for the state’s COVID-19 response, uniquely positions her for this critical role and I look forward to our continued work together.”
The governor announced Thursday that DHEC director Dr. Joan Duwve, who joined the health department in April, is leaving to work for the Ohio Department of Health, The State reported.
Traxler’s appointment is effective immediately, but Duwve will stay with the agency in an advisory role until Oct. 1.
Black neighborhoods in SC at higher risk for COVID-19
A new study by a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit has found residents in Columbia’s historically Black neighborhoods face shorter lifespans and greater risk factors for COVID-19, The State reported.
Those neighborhoods include Waverly, Celia Saxon, Edgewood, Martin Luther King and Lyon Street, where residents are more likely to suffer from asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure than those in whiter neighborhoods nearby.
Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, said higher rates of infection and deaths “in communities of color” were already known, “but this study gives us a deeper understanding of why,” he said.
The study found modern health disparities correlate to discriminatory housing practices — also known as redlining — that have kept Black residents in segregated neighborhoods since the Jim Crow era, according to The State.
City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine called the results disheartening.
“This is the result of years of disinvestment in communities of color,” she told The State.
Fort Mill schools add first COVID cases
The Fort Mill School District reported its first COVID-19 cases, as others add up in York, Lancaster and Chester counties.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control updated its coronavirus count on Friday for public, private and charter schools. The data shows student cases at Fort Mill High School and Doby’s Bridge Elementary School, and staff cases at Pleasant Knoll Elementary School.
Beaufort County ‘high-risk’ and considering opening school
Beaufort County returned to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s “high-risk” category for COVID-19 this week — but school district officials are still optimistic students will return to classrooms “sooner rather than later.”
Beaufort County School District spokeswoman Candace Bruder said Thursday the district will begin discussing reopening school buildings with the S.C. Department of Education two weeks after Tuesday’s start with fully-remote classes.
“The metrics this week are the best they have been in a while,” Bruder said Thursday. “That’s very encouraging because we want to open sooner rather than later.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 7:03 AM.
