COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 11
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 1,600 new coronavirus cases reported
At least 529,198 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,823 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,680 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 274 more than were reported the day before. The state also reported 14 coronavirus-related deaths.
Over 1,100 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Aug. 9, including 317 patients in the ICU. The state updates hospitalizations once a week.
As of Wednesday, 13.8% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Just over 45% of eligible South Carolina residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and 53% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
COVID-19 death toll surpasses 10,000 in S.C.
More than 10,000 people have died from the coronavirus in South Carolina, The State reported, citing the latest data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The total includes both confirmed and probable deaths caused by the virus.
The update comes as the highly transmissible delta variant drives a surge in new COVID-19 cases, jamming up emergency rooms and urgent care facilities across the state.
“While statistics are useful to measure data, there is no statistic for grief or comfort in a milestone for those who have lost family members and loved ones,” DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer said in a news release. “To all those families across South Carolina, I want to say my deepest sympathy is with you.”
In light of the grim milestone, Simmer urged all South Carolinians to get vaccinated.
There’s “only one way to prevent more lives from being lost, and that is through vaccination,” he said.
Shag dance festival in jeopardy as COVID cases rise
Attendees of the annual Fall Migration shag dancing festival in North Myrtle Beach may have to sit it out for the second year in a row as the delta variant drives an alarming surge in coronavirus cases, the Sun News reported.
Shag dancing, or the Carolina Shag, is a style of swing dance popularized in the mid-20th century. It originated in the Myrtle Beach area, according to the Sun News, and remains a popular form of entertainment among older adults.
Festival organizers were forced to call off the event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are considering it again as cases rise in Horry County.
“That’s a hard question,” Ronnie Chapman, who heads the Society of Stranders board, told the Sun News. “We certainly want it to happen, we want it to get better. It’s questions we’ll be forced to answer,” he said. “We’re kind of at that point now where we’re monitoring the situation closely.”
Charleston in ‘code red situation’ amid coronavirus surge
The COVID-19 delta variant is wreaking havoc across South Carolina, and the situation is worsening in Charleston, experts with the Medical University of South Carolina told The State.
An analysis by MUSC found that new daily cases in the tri-cities area — Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties — neared 3,000 for the week ending Aug. 3. It marked a 140% increase from the previous week, when cases totaled 1,230.
“It’s worse than I thought. We’re in a code red situation,” MUSC Ph.D researcher Micheal Sweat told the newspaper in a statement. “I worry that people aren’t realizing this is happening.”
Read the full story on the analysis here.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 7:10 AM.