COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 20
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 4,000 new COVID-19 cases reported
At least 554,415 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,989 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 4,009 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, nearly 1,900 more than were reported the day before. Twenty-five 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 Friday, 14.5% 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 nearly 55% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Clemson now requiring face masks at ‘essential locations’
People in another South Carolina city will need to mask up after the City Council voted in favor Friday of an ordinance to create a face mask mandate.
The Clemson City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting Friday to require people to wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The ordinance requires all people 2 years and older to mask up indoors in “essential locations,” which includes stores where food is sold, pharmacies, medical and dental facilities, city-owned and occupied buildings, public transportation, taxis and ride-shares.
SC Supreme Court asked to block law banning mask mandates
The Richland 2 school district asked the South Carolina Supreme Court on Friday to block enforcement of a state law that prevents schools from enacting mask mandates.
In the filing, the district said face coverings are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 and questions whether the law is constitutional, The State reported.
“We are hopeful that the S.C. Supreme Court will grant our request... enabling our district to fulfill our most important obligation to our families — providing a safe and healthy learning environment for all students,” Richland 2 Superintendent Baron Davis said in a news release.
The request comes amid a growing push from lawmakers and outside groups to reconsider the law as students return to school and COVID-19 cases, spurred by the delta variant, continue to rise.
A special session could be called to change the law. But that would likely be a “heavy lift” in the Republican-controlled Legislature, The State reported.
Midlands hospital closes surgery center
Lexington Medical Center temporarily shut down its outpatient surgery center in Irmo amid an influx of COVID-19 cases.
A hospital spokesperson said scheduled surgeries will be performed at an outpatient facility in Lexington, The State reported.
There were 170 coronavirus patients at Lexington Medical Center as of Friday, and about 31% of them are in the ICU. Several nurses who work in the surgery center have been sent to the ICU to help care for those patients.
Unemployment didn’t change much after benefits cut off
Data from the state labor department shows unemployment numbers in South Carolina changed very little after Gov. Henry McMaster cut off extra COVID-19 unemployment benefits in June to get people back to work.
While there were some job gains, “it was far from the tidal wave that some officials had wanted,” the Myrtle Beach Sun News reported.
Unemployment dropped by 3,400 from May to June, when the $300 a week in extra COVID-19 unemployment benefits was still in effect. From June to July, after those benefits stopped, unemployment dropped by 3,600, data show.
Horry County Schools won’t require face masks
A spokesperson for Horry County Schools said students and staff won’t be required to wear face masks — even after Charleston County and Richland 1 school districts instituted their own mask requirements.
School districts are currently barred from instituting mask mandates under state law.
DHEC recommends masks in schools
South Carolina health officials reversed course on Friday and recommended schools require students and staff to wear face masks.
The change came after officials with the Department of Health and Environmental Control presented research during a special meeting about the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools, The State reported.
“From a public health standpoint, until we have a much higher vaccination rate in our schools, the science shows that having all people in the school setting wear masks is an effective safe way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools and therefore, very importantly, keep students in school,” DHEC Director Edward Simmer said after the presentations.
Horry parents picked learning options before COVID surge
Parents in Horry County chose whether their students would attend school in-person or online in April when coronavirus cases statewide were on the decline.
But now that cases have surged, particularly among school-aged children, the district will not allow parents to switch, the Myrtle Beach Sun News reported. District spokesperson Lisa Bourcier said they “empathize with parents” but won’t reopen enrollment into the virtual program.
One parent said she feels like she’s out of options.
“I think it should be the utmost importance to reconsider the virtual program due to that information not being available at the time they made the deadline,” she told the Sun News.
Concerns mount after school pep rally
Chapin High School kicked off the school year with a pep rally — a move some are questioning amid rising COVID-19 cases in the region.
Interim Superintendent Akil Ross said last week that Lexington-Richland 5 school district was under a “level orange,” indicating students should avoid congregating in common areas and schools should consider putting extracurriculars on hold, The State reported.
“The green level even states social distancing when possible,” one person said on Facebook about the rally. “Well, it’s not possible in a packed gym. This is crazy.”
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 1,100 quarantined in Kershaw schools
At least 200 students have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,100 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.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 7:24 AM.
