COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 12
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 2,100 new coronavirus cases reported
At least 531,483 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,832 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 2,181 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 501 more than were reported the day before. The state also reported 9 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 Thursday, 16.2% 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.
SC hospitals see severe COVID cases among pregnant patients
South Carolina health officials say more pregnant women are being hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19, according to the Island Packet.
Dr. Helmut Albrecht, an infectious disease specialist and medical director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at Prisma Health, is urging expectant mothers and those trying to conceive to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases are on the rise in the Lowcountry and across the state.
“As a new grandfather, one of the saddest things I’ve encountered in a while was to see this increased number of pregnant women in our hospital in the last couple of weeks,” Albrecht said. “Losing moms or having moms lose their pregnancy because they didn’t get vaccinated is devastating for everyone, including your health care providers.”
His call to action comes after the CDC updated its guidance to strongly encourage all pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding to get the COVID-19 shot, after they found no increased risk of miscarriage or other safety concerns among vaccinated pregnant women.
Cunningham on school mask ban: S.C. governor ‘got this wrong’
Former South Carolina congressman and gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham is calling on South Carolina’s governor and legislature to reverse its ban on mask mandates in schools, according to The State.
Cunningham, who hopes to unseat Gov. Henry McMaster, pointed to the surge in COVID-19 cases across South Carolina and the risk to children under 12, who aren’t yet eligible to get the vaccine. McMaster signed an executive order earlier this year barring local school and governments from mandating masks.
A recent legislative amendment also bars school districts from using state funds to require face masks for students, teachers and school staff.
“The sign of a true leader is the ability to admit when you are wrong,” Cunningham told the newspaper. “The governor and the Legislature simply got this wrong and it’s time for them to swallow their pride and fix their mistake before we put thousands of innocent children in harm’s way next week.”
Horry County school board member hospitalized with COVID-19
A member of the Horry County School Board is hospitalized and on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19, the Sun News reported, citing a Facebook post from Congressman Tom Rice.
“Say a prayer for Ray Winters,” Rice wrote. “I hired Ray straight out of Law School in 1998. He became my partner before starting his own firm in 2008. He has served his community as a member of the Horry County Board of Education since 2014.”
In his post, the congressman honored Myrtle Beach area leaders, including former Horry County school board vice chair John Poston, who have lost their lives to the virus.
“We’ve lost too many to name here,” Rice concluded. “I pray we don’t lose Ray.”
COVID-19 death toll surpasses 10,000 in South Carolina
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.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 7:20 AM.