COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 17
Over 1,900 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday
At least 545,625 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,916 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,991 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, about 550 more than were reported the day before. Six coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
At least 1,718 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Aug. 17, with 431 patients in the ICU. The state updates hospitalization numbers once a week.
As of Tuesday, 13% 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.
Roughly 46% of South Carolinians eligible to receive the vaccine are fully vaccinated and about 54% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
SC Dems push for reversal of school mask mandate ban
South Carolina’s Democratic lawmakers are calling on the state legislature to repeal a temporary provision that prevents face mask mandates in schools as coronavirus cases continue to rise, The State reported.
“We are seeing what happens when unvaccinated and unmasked children are put into a classroom setting together over the last couple of weeks,” state representative and assistant House minority leader Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, said at a news conference Tuesday.
State lawmakers argued that the move to restrict school districts from imposing mask requirements put students, teachers and staff at risk of catching the virus.
“Schools are forced to either close or move to a virtual setting,” Ott continued. “Children under 12 cannot be vaccinated now, the mask is the only form of protection.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has held firm on his stance against mask mandates in schools, saying he doesn’t support the move.
Horry County loses school board member to COVID-19
Horry County School Board member Ray Winters died after a battle with COVID-19, The Sun News reported. He was 50 years old.
“Our hearts mourn for him, and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Tracy, his daughter Alyssa, and their families,” district spokesperson Lisa Bourcier told the newspaper in a statement. “Mr. Winters was a dedicated public servant and deeply committed to the betterment of Horry County Schools and his community.”
Winters had been placed on a ventilator last week after falling severely ill with the virus.
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SC teachers call on Gov. McMaster to mandate masks in schools
A teachers group is putting pressure on S.C. Governor Henry McMaster and the state legislature to take action as the delta variant drives new COVID-19 cases across the state.
In a letter, the Palmetto State Teachers Association called on McMaster to rethink a temporary law restricting city and local governments from mandating face masks in schools, The State reported. An “overwhelming majority of our members,” the group said, supports leaving the decision up to local school districts.
“In hoping for a return to normal, the legislature has tried to prohibit key mitigation strategies for this school year, most notably the ability of local school districts to implement mask requirements,” the group wrote on Monday. “To be clear, no one wants to teach or learn in a mask, but it is also true no one wants to shift to distance learning.”
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said McMaster doesn’t have the power to the suspend the law and wouldn’t support such a move.
Clemson professors threaten mass walkout
A reported lack of COVID-19 safety measures at Clemson University has some professors threatening to walk out in protest, according to The State.
“The lack of a mask mandate is endangering the health and lives of all of us,” Kimberly Paul, an associate professor of genetics and chemistry at the university, wrote on Facebook. “University leadership is not listening to us. It’s time to take action.”
Paul and other professors plan to stage a walkout en masse Wednesday in response to the university’s decision not to mandate masks for students during class. Associate professor of communication Andrew Pyle wrote on Twitter that Clemson was “unwilling to burn some political capital over a major public health issue.”
“What’s the point of having a huge amount of clout in the state if we won’t use it ... to save lives?” he wrote.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 7:21 AM.