COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Jan. 30

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.

Cases surpass 390,000 as vaccination rollout continues

At least 394,153 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina since March and 6,271 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Saturday reported 2.966 new COVID-19 cases, down from 3,112 the day before.

Officials reported 65 additional deaths Saturday.

As of Saturday, nearly 25% of all COVID-19 tests were positive. Health officials have said that number should be closer to 5% to control the spread of the virus.

At least 1,927 people were hospitalized in South Carolina with the coronavirus on Saturday, the second straight day hospitalizations have fallen below 2,000 in four weeks. Hospitalizations have been dropping steadily in recent days after soaring to record highs earlier this month.

As of Saturday, South Carolina had received 657,250 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and administered 371,894 doses, according to the DHEC.

SC has first case of UK strain

State health officials announced Saturday that an adult in the Lowcountry was discovered to have a variant of the coronavirus from the United Kingdom.

It’s South Carolina’s first known case of the UK Strain. The UK strain is more contagious but is not known to be more deadly, according to health experts. The current COVID-19 vaccine is believed to work against the UK strain though the effectiveness of the vaccine is yet to be properly tested.

The strain was discovered in the UK in December.

McMaster: Reallocate vaccine doses given to long-term care facilities

Just one-fifth of the roughly 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered to long-term care facilities in South Carolina have been administered, so Gov. Henry McMaster wants to reallocate those unused doses elsewhere, The State reported.

The care facilities have unused vaccine partly because they were given more than needed, and partly because many at the facilities, particularly staff, are hesitant to be vaccinated.

Friday, McMaster sent a letter to the chair of the state department of health, asking the agency to take 37,800 doses set aside for long-term sites and redistribute them.

“The LTC Program partners CVS and Walgreens have completed their first pass through our state’s long-term care facilities and have determined that there will be a surplus once every resident and staff member have been offered both doses,” the governor wrote in his letter to DHEC Chairman Mark Elam. “These surplus vaccines should be made available to the general public right away rather than at the completion of the LTC program.”

SC hasn’t shared race or ethnicity data on vaccine rollout

While dozens of other states share demographic data related to their COVID-19 vaccination rollout efforts, South Carolina isn’t one of them, The Island Packet reported.

There’s no way to know how many people have been vaccinated by gender, age, ethnicity or race — important information given the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on communities of color.

However, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control aims to launch a public vaccine data portal “in the coming weeks” that will include demographic information, agency spokeswoman Laura Renwick said.

The sooner that information is available the better, experts say, as it’s the best way to measure, and build, public trust of the vaccine in various communities.

“It’s extremely important to capture and correlate and release data by age, race, gender and ethnicity,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “If you’re doing a good job vaccinating all populations, and you tell people that you’re doing it, then you’re much more likely to get them to comply with other public health interventions. If they don’t trust you, they think you’re hiding information, why would they comply with you? They won’t.”

DHEC launches new vaccine help line

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control launched a new phone line Friday with 240 operators standing by to answer South Carolinians’ questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, The State reported.

“Many in South Carolina don’t have access to the internet, so offering a dedicated vaccine phone line to help them locate contact information for vaccine providers is essential,” Nick Davidson, DHEC Deputy of Public Health, said in a statement. “This new line helps DHEC offer better customer service that keeps pace with people’s demand for vaccine and vaccine information.”

Help is available every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., DHEC said; just dial 866-365-8110.

Hospital went against DHEC guidelines, vaccinated teachers. Why?

Under state guidelines, only South Carolina residents 70 or older and medical professionals are currently qualified to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but a Myrtle Beach hospital recently inoculated several people who don’t fit that bill, the Sun News reported.

“During last Saturday’s planned walk-in clinic, we were met with a giant influx of people that we were not anticipating,” Grand Strand Medical Center said in a statement.

The hospital held a Jan. 23 walk-in vaccination event that had only been announced internally, and to other healthcare providers.

Employees vaccinated over 600 people that day, and while the hospital won’t say how many weren’t under the phase 1a umbrella, The Sun News found social media posts showing several area teachers younger than 70 had been given a shot.

Many have advocated for including teachers in the first phases of the vaccine rollout, but officially, educators won’t get their turn until phase 1b begins.

One teacher, who spoke anonymously for fear of backlash, said she heard about the event through word of mouth.

“When I got up there, if they didn’t think I should have it, they would have just said ‘no, ma’am, you can’t have it,’” she said.

Upstate teen dies from COVID-related illness MIS-C

An Upstate 17-year-old is the first person in South Carolina to die from Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, a rare illness that sometimes occurs in youths who have contracted the coronavirus, The State reported.

The teenager died Wednesday.

“It’s heartbreaking to have to report the death of such a young person. Our condolences go out to the family and to the many families that have suffered loss related to COVID-19,” State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a statement.

While MIS-C is rare, state health officials expressed concern that the surge of COVID-19 cases seen during the winter could lead to an increase in MIS-C cases as well.

“We must be prepared for the unfortunate possibility of more children being affected by MIS-C,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC’s Interim Public Health Director. “We continue to remind South Carolinians that COVID-19 is spreading in our communities at a high rate and it is vital that we all take the steps we know to protect us all from this deadly disease: wear a mask, stay six feet away from others, wash your hands frequently, and avoid crowds. And when your time comes, get vaccinated.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2021 at 7:42 AM.