COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on May 24
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases blow past 490,000
At least 490,638 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 8,534 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 210 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, up from 192 reported the day before.
Six coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
At least 287 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, with 85 patients in intensive care units.
As of Monday, 3.3% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower indicates a low risk of community spread.
More than 1.5 million South Carolina residents, or 35.9%, have completed vaccination against COVID-19, and more than 1.8 million, or 43.8%, have received at least one dose, as of Saturday.
Disadvantaged farmers can get debt relief from COVID package
Nonwhite farmers are eligible for debt relief, thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan.
Farmers across the country have taken hits to their bottom lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the latest round of financial assistance is for Black and minority farmers, The State reported.
“It’s very targeted, it’s very specific and it addresses the disparity between white farmers who received a tremendous amount of money during the COVID relief situation and socially disadvantaged producers who received relatively very little,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said of the debt relief, which will be available through the USDA.
Around $26 billion in COVID relief dispersed by the Trump administration went mostly to white farmers, Vilsack said.
Of the 38,970 farmers in South Carolina as of 2017, about 35,800 were white, and 2,570 were Black.
While some have criticized the move for leaving out white farmers, proponents argue the targeted help is needed for minorities in agriculture, who have historically been disadvantaged.
“This is to right a wrong,” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, said. “I learned from my history that the greatness of this country is not that we are more enlightened in this nation, but because we’ve always been able to repair our faults.”
Hilton Head mask rules end in no tickets
At the height of the pandemic, Hilton Head Island residents caught without a mask could face a $500 fine and even jail time.
The city’s mask mandate was considered one of the most strict in Beaufort County, yet not a single person was ticketed for skirting the rules, according to The Island Packet.
A law requiring residents to wear a mask in public and commercial spaces was in place for 10 months before S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order barring towns from enforcing a mask mandate. During that time, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office officials said it didn’t have to issue any tickets to maskless violators.
Nearly 36% of residents fully vaccinated
At least 490,380 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 8,528 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 192 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 205 reported the day before.
Ten coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
At least 301 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday.
As of Sunday, 2.4% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower indicates a low risk of community spread.
More than 1.5 million South Carolina residents, or 35.8%, have completed vaccination against COVID-19, and more than 1.8 million, or 43.7%, have received at least one dose as of Friday.
Major indicators show COVID spread is slowing
New cases, deaths and hospitalizations were down in South Carolina for the second consecutive week.
State health officials reported 2,451 new coronavirus cases last week — an average of about 351 cases a day. That’s down from 3,162 cases and an average of 452 daily cases reported during the week before.
Forty-six deaths were reported last week, down from 57 the prior week.
An average of 3.5% of tests were reported positive last week.
Nearly 60,000 more people received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 7:11 AM.
