COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on April 26
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 479,000
At least 479,618 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 8,307 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 362 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from 424 reported the day before.
Three coronavirus-related deaths were reported.
At least 506 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday.
More than 1.2 million South Carolina residents had completed COVID-19 vaccination as of Saturday, the latest date for which vaccination data is available.
$271 million in rent relief coming to SC
For South Carolinians struggling with rent due to financial hardship caused by the pandemic, $271 million in rent relief is coming soon, The State reported.
South Carolina’s housing finance and development authority will be accepting applications for the “SC Stay Plus” program in early May.
Applicants can get up to 12 months of rent assistance or utility payments as far back as March 2020, plus another three months for future payments in some cases.
“Even as our state continues its recovery efforts, the economic hardships of the pandemic have placed many families in jeopardy of losing their homes,” said Bonita Shropshire, executive director of SC Housing. “It is our hope that SC Stay Plus will help them to get back on track.”
For more information on how to apply, or to sign up for notifications, visit SC Housing’s website.
‘Miscommunication’ delayed COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Horry County
A dispute with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control held up COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Horry County, according to The Sun News.
Earlier this year, DHEC cut off the county’s vaccine supply after it alleged the county government inoculated employees — including first responders — who weren’t yet eligible to receive the vaccine under Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout.
The weeks-long back and forth was apparently the result of a “miscommunication” between the two parties about who was authorized to receive a dose and when, according to emails obtained by the newspaper.
Horry County officials considered police, fire, EMTS and other county employees as “mission-critical for maintaining operations of COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in S.C.”
Read the full story here.
COVID spread above target for second week in row
The level of coronavirus spread in South Carolina last week was slightly above the “low” marker set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the second week in a row.
From April 18-24, DHEC reported that 5.14% of coronavirus tests came back positive. The CDC says that a positive rate consistently below 5% means the virus spread is slowing in a community.
In the same week, health officials reported 3,374 new coronavirus cases, down from 4,006 the previous week and an average of about 482 cases a day.
Almost 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered last week in South Carolina.
As of Sunday, 3.9% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive.
SC lifts Johnson & Johnson pause
The DHEC on Friday lifted its 10-day pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The pause followed reports that the vaccine was connected to dangerous, but extremely rare, blood clots.
Federal health officials have since determined the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk of the blood clots, which have occurred in 15 out of the nearly 8 million people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Safety is our top priority. This pause was an example of our extensive safety monitoring working as they were designed to work — identifying even these small number of cases,” acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement announcing federal officials had lifted the pause on the vaccine.
The DHEC said Friday it had notified vaccine providers that they could start administering the vaccine again.
This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 7:41 AM.
