COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 24
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
COVID-related hospitalizations surpass 2,000
At least 568,857 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 9,073 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 3,121 new COVID-19 cases and nine coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday morning.
At least 2,089 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Aug. 24, the last time the data was updated, with 513 patients in the ICU.
As of Tuesday, 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.
Nearly 47% of South Carolinians eligible to receive the vaccine are fully vaccinated and over 55% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Chester Co. schools require masks amid COVID surge
Masks will now be required inside all Chester County schools, the school board announced Monday.
The change is aimed at preventing an outbreak and comes in response to the rising number of new coronavirus cases at district schools, The Rock Hill Herald reported, citing Chester County Representative Chris Christoff.
“The main goal of the board, first and foremost, is the safety of students and staff,” Christoff said. “It’s purely for the safety of students.”
The district plans to revisit the policy in 60 days.
Ban on SC school mask mandate lands at center of new lawsuit
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Gov. Henry McMaster and other state officials over a temporary provision lawmakers say bars school districts from requiring masks for students and staff.
The complaint was filed Tuesday on behalf of Able South Carolina, Disability Rights South Carolina and a group of parents whose children have a disability, The State reported. The state’s ban on school mask mandates, they said, puts students who are susceptible to severe COVID-19-related illness at risk.
“Prohibiting schools from taking reasonable steps to protect the health of their students forces parents to make an impossible choice: their child’s education or their child’s health,” Susan Mizner, director of the ACLU’s Disability Rights Program, said in a statement. “This is a disability rights issue.”
Lancaster EMS worker loses battle with COVID-19
Lancaster County Emergency Medical Services is mourning the loss of an employee who died from COVID-19 complications.
Richard McKinney, 45, was hospitalized while battling the virus, the Rock Hill Herald reported, citing EMS director Clay Catoe. He was an eight-year veteran of Lancaster EMS and enjoyed teaching and training newer EMS workers.
“Richard would do anything for you,” Catoe told the newspaper.
A memorial service is scheduled for next week.
Horry County hospital tightens restrictions as COVID cases surge
A Horry County hospital is bringing back stringent precautions in response to the rapid rise in new coronavirus cases, The Sun News reported.
Conway Medical Center will require all visitors to wear face masks and visitations will be limited in most cases, the hospital announced Monday. Visitors younger than 16 aren’t permitted except in end-of-life situations, and the hospital’s emergency department’s entrance will only be available to patients.
“Truly this is gut-wrenching,” Dr. Paul Richardson, the chief medical officer, told The Sun News this month after the hospital started the process of re-installing triage tents outside for COVID-19 patients. “We do not want to do this, we feel like it is necessary.”
For more on the hospital’s restrictions, read the full story here.
Midlands schools see hundreds of COVID cases after first day of classes
Hundreds of students and staff members in the Midlands have tested positive for COVID-19 less than two weeks after returning to school, The State reported.
Approximately 470 students and 50 staff members across the Lexington 1, Lexington-Richland 5, Kershaw, Orangeburg and Clarendon 2 school districts have contracted coronavirus since the new school year kicked off last week, according to data released by each of the districts.
At Columbia-area schools, more than 600 students and staff are reported to have the virus as well.
Richland 1 and Richland 2 are the only Midland districts with mask mandates, despite a temporary provision barring local government and school districts from imposing mask rules.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 7:34 AM.