COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 19
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect total for the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 2,100 new COVID-19 cases reported
At least 550,365 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,964 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 2,116 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, about 371 less than were reported the day before. Thirty-six coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
At least 1,833 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Thursday, with 461 patients in the ICU.
As of Thursday, 14.6% 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 just over 54% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Clemson considers face mask mandate
Clemson City Council will host a special meeting Friday to discuss a possible face mask mandate.
During a regularly scheduled meeting Monday, the council passed a resolution strongly recommending face masks be required, The State reported.
“I’m not willing to take the risk of protecting our children,” Council member Alesia Smith said. “We have children in hospitals. We have teachers fighting for their lives.”
AG sues Columbia over school face mask mandate
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is suing the city of Columbia over a rule requiring students and faculty to wear face masks in schools.
Wilson said the mandate violates state law barring schools from enacting such mask requirements, The State reported.
“Besides the City of Columbia, the lawsuit mentions and would also apply to all cities, towns, counties, and school boards that have passed or are seeking to pass mask mandates,” Wilson’s office said in a news release.
More than 1,000 quarantined in Kershaw schools
At least 200 students have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,000 are in quarantine in Kershaw County Schools.
That means more than 10% of the district’s students are quarantined.
The district’s dashboard also lists at least 24 teachers with the coronavirus and an additional six quarantined, The State reported.
Winthrop to require face masks on campus
Winthrop University will require students, faculty and staff to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
The mandate comes after the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the University of South Carolina could require masks, The Rock Hill Herald reported.
“I hope you will once again embrace change in this pandemic and graciously do your part to help ensure we can continue to offer the exceptional educational experience that our students deserve and that we have a reputation for providing,” interim President George Hynd said in a campus email.
Under the new rules, face masks will be required in classrooms, offices and labs but not in students’ residence hall rooms, in private offices or while drinking and eating.
More kids are getting COVID than earlier in the pandemic
Data released by the Department of Health and Environmental Control show nearly twice as many children are testing positive for the coronavirus than they did at the height of the pandemic.
On Wednesday, about 12% of new cases were among children 10 years old and younger, The State reported.
Health officials warned kids could be at risk as schools reopen.
“I’m greatly concerned that this school year could be a perfect storm for disease spread if we have unvaccinated and unmasked students and teachers together,” state epidemiologist Linda Bell said last week.
Brookgreen Gardens offers free admission — if you get vaccinated
One of the Myrtle Beach area’s most popular attractions is offering free admission to guests who get the COVID-19 shot at an upcoming vaccination clinic, The Sun News reported.
Brookgreen Gardens has teamed with Tidelands Health to get people vaccinated as the delta variant drives a surge in new coronavirus cases. Patients will receive a voucher for free admission into the botanical gardens in exchange for getting the jab during a special vaccination event scheduled for next week.
“Our team continues to offer the vaccine in clinics, at area businesses, in our family medicine offices, during special events and now at one of the most popular attractions along the Grand Strand,” Kelly Kaminski, senior director of community health resources at Tidelands Health, said in a statement.
The clinic will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m on Aug. 25 at the Brookgreen Gardens’ ticket and information center.
Find out more about the event here.
South Carolina HBCU imposes campus-wide mask mandate
South Carolina State University is the latest state college to require face masks on campus in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to The State.
The historically Black university, located in Orangeburg, announced the decision Wednesday following the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling that the University of South Carolina had the right to impose mask mandates for students and staff.
The mandate took effect Wednesday and requires all S.C. State students, staff, faculty and visitors to wear face coverings inside all campus buildings, university officials said in a news release. Exceptions include personal offices, individual dorm rooms and when eating.
“Participation is paramount in maintaining a safe and healthy campus environment,” the release states.
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 7:25 AM.