Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Oct. 8

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

Cases near 150,000

At least 149,219 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 3,311 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday reported 859 new cases of the virus — the highest daily case count in two weeks.

Thursday, 11.8% of COVID-19 tests were positive, DHEC says, down from 12.9% on Wednesday.

Twelve deaths were reported Thursday.

Elementary teacher dies from COVID-19

A 71-year-old elementary school teacher in South Carolina has died after complications from the coronavirus.

Margie Kidd had been teaching for 26 years before her death, The Island Packet reported.

Kidd taught first grade at Ridgeland Elementary School in Jasper County, where teachers returned to school in August for “state-mandated, face-to-face assessment activities and instruction for preschool through eighth-grade students,” according to The Packet.

Kidd was nervous about going back, her daughter said, and she always wore a face shield, mask and gloves.

She was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, and then was released but eventually readmitted after she reported having trouble breathing. Doctors then put Kidd on a ventilator, which she stayed on for 21 days until she died.

Her family said they believe being back at school “did have something to do with her getting sick.”

“We lost a most beloved member of our school district family,” the Jasper County School District said in a statement after her death. “She served the people of Jasper County as a professional educator for 26 years. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends and co-workers at RES.”

Horry County schools revert to online learning

An uptick in coronavirus cases has forced Horry County schools to move all instruction online after operating partial in-person classes.

The district’s plan for reopening is based on weekly reports by state health officials examining the spread of COVID-19 on a county-by-county basis, The Myrtle Beach Sun News reported. Horry County was classified as “medium spread,” allowing for a hybrid schedule, until recently.

Thursday’s report lists Horry with a high spread, meaning all learning must be remote starting Oct. 19.

SC absentee ballots need signature

Absentee ballots in South Carolina without a witness signature will not be counted if they were received after Oct. 7 — regardless of when they were mailed.

The State Election Commission voted Wednesday to bar county election officials from “curing” absentee ballots that lack the signatures after a weeks-long legal battle that’s played out across multiple courts, The State reported.

Under the new requirement, anyone — whether it be a spouse, friend, child or neighbor — can serve as a witness and sign the mail-in envelope with their address. It does not need to be notarized.

Richland One plans return to in-person classes

Starting the week of Oct. 26, Richland One students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade will be able to attend in-person classes twice a week, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon announced in a Wednesday email.

Parents who aren’t interested in sending their kids back to face-to-face classes just yet can still apply for Richland One’s “Virtual School Program.”

Students with disabilities can return even sooner, Oct. 12, depending on their education plans.

Witherspoon said that in light of declining coronavirus activity in Richland County, administrators are confident they can take a step toward normalcy without compromising safety.

SC court: No CARES funds for private schools

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Gov. Henry McMaster cannot grant $32 million in CARES Act funding to private schools because it is public money.

McMaster announced his intention to share the sizable chunk of federal aid with private schools earlier this year, but the S.C. court decided 5-0 against him.

“We hold the Governor’s decision constitutes the use of public funds for the direct benefit of private educational institutions within the meaning of, and prohibited by, Article XI, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution,” Chief Justice Donald Beatty said in a 15-page opinion.

This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 7:41 AM.