COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Feb. 8
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
New cases hit two-month low
At least 414,573 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina since March and 6,881 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Monday reported 1,510 new cases, down from 2,228 reported the day before. That’s the lowest number of new cases seen in two months.
Thirty-four additional deaths were also reported Monday.
At least 1,517 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina as of Monday, marking the seventh day in a row hospitalizations have declined.
As of Monday, 7% of COVID-19 tests were positive, down from Sunday’s 8.8%. Health officials have said the number should be closer to 5% to control the spread of the virus.
South Carolina has received 947,750 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and distributed 577,502 of those doses as of Monday, according to DHEC.
Harris Teeter will pay employees to get vaccinated
Grocery chain Harris Teeter said it will pay employees $100 for receiving full recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Company spokeswoman Danna Robinson said the move is just one way Harris Teeter has “strongly encouraged” its workforce to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible and able.
Employees who can’t get vaccinated due to religious or medical reasons will still be able to receive payment another way, Robsinson said, but the company is working out the details.
Housing sales boomed in SC despite pandemic. Why?
Even as the coronavirus pandemic raged, or perhaps because of it, housing sales boomed in South Carolina in 2020, The State reported.
Closed sales increased by 20% over 2019, up to a record-breaking 101,500 transactions.
With people spending so much more time at home, they began “noticing all the little flaws” with their apartments and houses and “decided there was no reason for them to stay,” South Carolina Realtors president Morris Lyles said.
Add to the equation historically low interest rates, implemented by the Federal Reserve to boost economic growth, and there was a good deal of incentive for people to buy news homes.
Thanks to the buying boom, real estate inventory is down 40% from 2019, according to South Carolina Realtors, and home builders are working to keep up with demand.
“A lot of people want to move down south where it’s warmer and they can get away from the crowds of the big cities,” Kim O’Quinn, corporate VP of marketing for Mungo Homes, said.
Many industries were hurt by the pandemic, and are hurting still. In South Carolina, real estate isn’t one of them, Lyles said.
“It’s hard to tell how long this trend will last,” Lyles said. “But we fought early on to have real estate be considered an essential service and it seems like once we figured out how to navigate that, each month just got better and better.”
Hospitals ask for patience as vaccine eligibility expands
As of Monday, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include people 65-69 years of age and hospitals, already struggling to meet demand, are asking for patience as they work to catch up, the Sun News reported.
“We’ve asked for this from the beginning, we just ask for patience,” said Allyson Floyd, a spokesperson at Conway Medical Center in Horry County. “We are getting through our waiting list just as quickly as we possibly can.”
Scheduling appointments has been a challenge from the start, and with the eligibility expansion it’s likely to be worse, at least for a time.
Gayle Resetar, CEO of Tidelands Health, says the biggest hindrance is that there just isn’t enough vaccine for everyone who wants it.
Grand Strand Medical Center hasn’t opened up appointments to the 65-69 age group because it’s still trying to get through the 70-and-over crowd first.
Meanwhile, Conway Medical Center started scheduling appointments last week, receiving over 3,500 requests in the first 24 hours.
“We definitely saw a bump in the number of requests and I would say a great majority of them were 65- through 69-year-olds,” Floyd said.
State sees deadliest seven-day period of pandemic
Sunday marked the deadliest seven-day period since the start of the pandemic in South Carolina, The State reports.
Over the past seven days, 522 confirmed deaths were reported. Another 102 probable coronavirus deaths were also reported over the same time period, bringing the combined total to 624 – a seven-day record.
The previous record of 523 confirmed and probable deaths was reported last week, and the top three deadliest weeks in South Carolina have all been recorded in 2021, data show.
On Feb. 1, 210 deaths were reported — the most on a single day in South Carolina, behind the record 226 deaths reported on Jan. 28.
Myrtle Beach event vaccinates 1,700
An event in Myrtle Beach over the weekend drew thousands of older adults seeking the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Saturday event, organized by McLeod Health Seacoast, was first-come, first-served and was aimed at helping people who have struggled with making appointments on the computer or over the phone.
“I filled out so many applications, made so many long phone calls and no response, and then we heard about this,” Vivian Gerfo, who was at the event, told The Sun News. “I feel safer already.”
McLeod Health planned to give about 1,700 people their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Saturday. It was one of the largest mass vaccination events hosted in Horry County.
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 6:43 AM.
