COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 7
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 3,400 new COVID cases reported Tuesday
At least 625,786 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 9,583 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 3,453 new COVID-19 cases and 23 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday.
At least 2,560 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Tuesday, with 569 patients being treated in intensive care units.
As of Tuesday, 12.3% 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 49% of South Carolinians eligible to receive the vaccine are fully vaccinated, and about 58% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
SC farmers seek $90M in federal COVID-19 relief funds
Farmers in South Carolina are seeking more than $90 million in federal assistance as they work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The State.
The ask by the SC Department of Agriculture includes a $3 million program proposal aimed at providing food to food banks, and comes as state lawmakers decide how to divvy up $2.5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money. The agriculture department is also requesting $20 million for a grant program focused on “agricultural-related infrastructure.”
“Additional funding would satisfy two key elements — assisting farmers as they continue to experience sales losses and a needed supply of local food to food banks,” Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers wrote in a letter addressed to House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith.
Aiken County student, 9, dies from COVID-19
A South Carolina elementary school student has died after contracting COVID-19, The State reported. He was 9 years old.
The child, who hasn’t been named, was a fourth grader at North Augusta Elementary School, a spokesperson for the Aiken County School District confirmed to the Augusta Chronicle.
A 10th grade student at nearby Aiken High School also died from the virus last week.
Read the full story here.
COVID cases among Horry County students higher than last year
The Horry County School District is grappling with a rapid rise in coronavirus cases among students, and totals have already blown past last year’s case count, according to an analysis by The Sun News.
The district reported more than 1,800 total student cases as of Tuesday compared to the 1,777 cases reported the previous school year, the newspaper reported, citing school district data. School has been in session for less than a month.
Horry County students returned to in-person learning this year, though a handful have switched to virtual learning in response to COVID spikes.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 1:45 PM.