Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 28
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases pass 142,000
At least 142,449 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 3,154 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Monday reported 526 new cases of the virus, down from 569 the day before.
For more than two weeks, the state’s daily COVID-19 cases have remained below 1,000. The DHEC projects 4,066 new cases will be reported during the upcoming week.
Ten deaths were reported Monday.
As of Monday, the DHEC says 753 patients are in South Carolina hospitals with COVID-19, including 172 in intensive care and 108 on ventilators.
On Monday, DHEC reported a positive test rate of 8.2%, down from 13.8% the day before. Health officials have said that number should be 5% or lower to slow the spread of the virus.
Lexington-Richland 5 to return to class 4 days a week
Lexington-Richland 5 students will start going to school for in-person classes four days a week, beginning with elementary school students in October, Superintendent Christina Melton announced Monday.
Face-to-face classes will be held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with virtual classes on Wednesday to allow staff to clean and disinfect classrooms.
Kindergarten through second grade will begin this new schedule Oct. 5. Third through sixth grade follows on Oct. 19. All other grade levels can start coming to school Nov. 9.
Students will still be able to take all classes virtually if they prefer.
Layoffs likely coming for P.F. Chang’s workers
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro could soon lay off or cut hours for 225 workers across its three South Carolina restaurants, in Greenville, Mount Pleasant and Myrtle Beach.
The layoffs were mentioned in the most recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filings. Employers are usually required to warn employees of large-scale layoffs or closures 60 days in advance.
Mayor warns COVID-19 is ‘no joke,’ urges mask use
Irmo Mayor Barry Walker is warning that the coronavirus is “no joke” after he and his wife, Susan, tested positive.
He was diagnosed early this month and said the virus has taken its toll on him. While his wife, who tested positive a week before he did, has recovered, Walker says he is still not 100% better.
“This virus is brutal. It wipes you of energy,” he told The State in an interview Sunday. “I couldn’t move for four or five days. I barely could lift my head.”
Walker was exposed to the virus in his home after his wife tested positive.
He said wearing a mask in public has helped the situation and urged everyone to do so. He said he’s proud Irmo is one of several Midlands municipalities to have a mask mandate.
“Going to a football game, to a bar, or out in public without a mask is not safe. It will put you in the grave,” Walker said. “Wear masks until they come out with a vaccine that works to stay safe. Corona does not discriminate.”
Charter school enrollment surges
An unprecedented number of South Carolina students have enrolled in charter schools during the pandemic.
More than 14,000 new students have enrolled in charter schools across the state since last school year ended, bringing the total to 40,000 as of this week, The State reported Sunday. Another 40,000 families are on waiting lists.
Virtual charter schools account for nearly two-thirds of the year’s growth.
The complications many traditional schools experienced while transitioning to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic drove many families toward charter schools.
“This is really a transformative year for public education in South Carolina, to see parents taking action in this way,” Chris Neeley, superintendent of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, told The State. “We’ve never seen this before.”
Ban on absentee voting witness requirement reinstated
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond has reinstated a ruling by a South Carolina federal judge that did away with the witness requirement for absentee voting in the state.
U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs on Sept. 18 prohibited the S.C. Election Commission from enforcing the requirement that anyone voting absentee have a witness sign the envelope. The ruling would make it easier to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.
It was overturned Thursday by a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.
But on Friday, the Court of Appeals reversed and reinstated Childs’ order.
“It’s an interesting and a positive step,” South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Trav Robertson told The State. “We believe that the witness signature line is not only a hindrance to people being able to cast their ballots but it’s also, you know, a throwback to a bygone era in the South. But at the end of the day, we just hope that there will be some clarity as not to confuse people.”
Claire Robinson, spokeswoman for the state GOP, told The State “we don’t comment on ongoing legal matters.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 6:43 AM.
