Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Dec. 3

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

Over 1,700 new cases reported

At least 208,435 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 4,145 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday reported 1,754 new COVID-19 cases, up from 1,612 cases reported Wednesday. State health officials have been reporting more than 1,000 new cases a day for over two weeks.

Twenty-one additional deaths were reported Thursday.

As of Thursday, 1,046 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in South Carolina.

The percentage of positive tests was about 24% as of Thursday, the second highest rate of positive tests since April. Health officials have said the number should be closer to 5% to slow spread of the virus.

SC could get vaccines before Christmas

South Carolina may see its first shipments of COVID-19 vaccines within two weeks, if drug makers Moderna and Pfizer receive federal approval when expected, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Thursday.

“Things can change, decisions could linger, things could be expedited,” the state Department of Health and Environmental Control’s immunization program manager, Stephen White said. “But that is the time frame we’re thinking the vaccine could be available, if the (emergency use authorization) is approved and (the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) provides their guidance.”

Of the two vaccines, DHEC anticipates Pfizer’s arriving first, possibly as soon as Dec. 14. The Moderna vaccine would likely arrive the following week.

Officials didn’t say how many vaccines South Carolina will receive, but said doses will be “very limited.”

Inside look at how SC is preparing for vaccine distribution

State leaders, hospital officials, dry ice suppliers, and many others are rushing to prepare South Carolina for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, expected soon.

It’s unknown at this point how many vaccine doses South Carolina will receive, but there are five locations across the state with ultra-cold freezers ready to take them in. Officials wouldn’t say where those sites are.

Where those doses will be sent first after arriving at the storage sites is still being determined.

The question of who they will go to is somewhat clearer: frontline health workers, first responders, and individuals considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

There will be relatively few doses initially: the federal government wants to have 40 million doses shared across the U.S. by the end of 2020, and two doses are needed to successfully inoculate someone.

Beaufort Co. schools superintendent in quarantine after giving CPR

The superintendent of Beaufort County schools is in quarantine after trying to save a man’s life using CPR outside of a Bluffton area Walmart on Saturday, the Island Packet reported.

Frank Rodriguez told the Packet he was with his family, packing groceries into their car when a woman walked up pleading for help for her husband. It’s unclear what was wrong, but Rodriguez found the man slumped over behind the wheel.

Rodriguez and another bystander pulled the man out of the car, and he started performing CPR.

“If it was my dad, I would want somebody doing that,” he said. “You don’t think about it, you just go do it.”

Paramedics arrived and whisked the man away on an ambulance. Rodriguez didn’t get either the husband or wife’s name, and he doesn’t know if the man pulled through.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot and hoping for the best, but we have no way of knowing,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez’ 10-day quarantine, which he’s taking as a precaution, will end Dec. 7. Until then he says he will be working remotely.

Lexington-Richland school district moves to hybrid classes amid protests

Lexington-Richland 5 school district is switching seventh through 12th grades to a two-day-a-week hybrid model, instead of four days of in-person classes.

Under the model, approved by the school board Wednesday night, middle and high school students will have two days per week of face-to-face instruction, and three days virtual. The change will be in effect until winter break starts on Dec. 21.

About 100 students and teachers gathered outside the school board meeting to protest in-person classes, chanting “hybrid til safe,” and “hey ho four day’s gotta go.”

“We believe that we and the teachers are the ones that have to endure the decision. Whatever the board decides, we’re the ones that have to live with it, and our voices deserve to be heard,” Spring Hill High School student Bryson Stutts said.

The board’s decision comes as the number of students in quarantine rises, and district officials warn of possible teacher shortages due to COVID-19.

Greenville County to consider recommending mask use

Greenville County has been leading the state in new coronavirus cases for almost a month, prompting County Councilman Ennis Fant to propose a resolution encouraging residents to wear masks.

Fant made the proposal during a Tuesday council meeting but asked to hold off on a vote until January, when new council members begin their terms.

If passed, the resolution wouldn’t go into effect for another month — and would only serve as a suggestion.

The city of Greenville was the first in the state to adopt a mask ordinance to slow the spread of COVID-19, and state data show the measure has helped. But Greenville County, the largest county in the state, has not passed any mask rules.

100 confirmed cases among Columbia city workers since March

Since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, 100 city of Columbia employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, The State reported

That’s about 4.3% of the city’s total workforce.

“Those positive cases typically have come from social interactions, not in the workplace,” City Manager Teresa Wilson said at a city council meeting Tuesday. “We appreciate the effort (council) has allowed us to continue down the path in a safe way.”

The rate of infections aligns with figures seen statewide. Over 205,000 South Carolinians have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, roughly 4% of the state’s 5.1 million residents.

This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 6:40 AM.