COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 3
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 4,600 new cases reported
At least 608,946 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 9,434 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 4,685 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, 1,113 more cases than were reported the day before. The state also confirmed 31 coronavirus-related deaths.
At least 2,339 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Friday, with 543 patients being treated in intensive care units.
As of Friday, 12.6% 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.
Forty-eight percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive the vaccine are fully vaccinated, and 57% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Hilton Head gym owner accused of promoting ivermectin
A Hilton Head Island gym owner accused of promoting an animal dewormer as a treatment for COVID-19 is now at the center of a state investigation, according to The Island Packet, citing court documents.
An investigator with the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation will look into the complaint filed by a resident last month against Nathan Dixon, the newspaper reported. Dixon, who owns LAVA 24 Fitness, “actively” encouraged the use of ivermectin as a coronavirus treatment — even posting leaflets about the drug on the fitness center’s bulletin board, the complaint alleges.
“I am deeply concerned for the members and guests of the gym/wellness center,” it reads. “Many are young and impressionable.”
Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug typically used in animals, hasn’t been federally approved to treat COVID-19 nor is there evidence that it is an effective remedy for the virus.
Read more about the complaint here.
Coastal Carolina University sees record spike in COVID-19 cases
Coastal Carolina University reported nearly double the number of positive COVID-19 cases this week since the start of the semester, marking a record spike in new cases on campus, according to The Sun News.
In the week ending Wednesday, the university recorded 117 cases among students and seven cases among faculty and staff. The previous high, reported in September 2020, was 82 cases.
A total of 62 cases were reported after the first full week of classes, which started Aug. 18.
Read the full analysis here.
S.C. Supreme Court blocks Columbia school mask mandate
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday struck down Columbia’s school mask mandate, citing a state provision barring state funds from being used to enforce mask rules in schools, The State reported.
In a unanimous ruling, the justices said requiring masks among students at Columbia’s schools and daycare facilities was in direct violation of state law.
The ruling comes just weeks after Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin signed an emergency order requiring masks in schools to help curb the spread of COVID-19, especially among children under 12 who aren’t yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
“We fully recognize that strong and passionate opinions exist on both sides of this debate,” the justices wrote in their opinion. “Yet, we must remind ourselves, the parties, and the public that, as part of the judicial branch of government, we are not permitted to weigh in on the merits of the face mask debate. Rather, we are a court that is constitutionally bound by the rule of law ... to interpret and apply existing laws; we do not, and cannot, set public policy ourselves.”
Additional Horry County schools switch to virtual learning
A surge in COVID-19 cases has forced two more Horry County middle schools to return to virtual learning, according to The Sun News.
Students at Ten Oaks and Whittemore Park middle schools will switch to distance learning on Friday, the Horry County School District announced. The schools have a combined 296 students in quarantine and 70 confirmed COVID-19 cases among students.
In-person classes are scheduled to resume Sept. 17.
SC nursing homes, assisted living facilities secure booster shots
South Carolina long-term care facilities are working with local vaccine providers to ensure the state’s most vulnerable residents have access to the COVID-19 booster shot, The State reported, citing health officials.
The state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control said nursing homes and similar facilities have been matched with providers that can administer the extra dose, which President Joe Biden’s administration has recommended at least eight months after receiving the second dose of the two-shot vaccine series.
Those who are immunocompromised or are at increased risk of getting severely ill from the virus are recommended for boosters.
Hilton Head hospitals see surge in COVID patients: ‘Toughest it’s been’
The rapid rise of coronavirus cases is testing limits at Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina hospitals, The Island Packet reported.
“This is truly the toughest it’s been,” Jeremy Clark, CEO of Hilton Head Regional Health Care, said during a Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday. “Patients are sicker than we’ve seen in the previous spikes.”
Both hospitals are treating 44 COVID-positive patients, the newspaper reported, 10 of whom are in intensive care units. Clark noted that roughly 80% of those currently hospitalized for COVID-19 aren’t vaccinated.
“It really doesn’t have to be this way,” he said. “This is largely preventable.”
Read the full story here.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 7:26 AM.