COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Oct. 6
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 800 new cases reported Wednesday
At least 698,517 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 11,082 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 834 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a decrease of 159 cases from the day before. The state also confirmed 46 new coronavirus-related deaths.
At least 1,596 people in the state were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, including 466 patients who are being treated in intensive care units and 342 who are on ventilators. Just over 17% of hospitalized people in the state are COVID-19 patients, data show.
As of Wednesday, 11.1% 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 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated, and about 61% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
SC schools can continue enforcing mask mandates after appeals court ruling
South Carolina school districts can continue requiring students to wear face masks at school following a ruling by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, The State reported.
In a Tuesday order, the court blocked an attempt by Republicans Gov. Henry McMaster and Attorney General Alan Wilson to stay a district court’s ruling on the matter, citing a “failure to comply with Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.”
McMaster has been critical of school mask mandates and backed a temporary proviso preventing school districts from using funds from the state’s budget to enforce mask rules.
“The governor’s disappointed for the parents of South Carolina’s students, but this is far from over,” Brian Symmes, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement. “He’ll continue to defend a parent’s right to decide what’s best for their children through every legal avenue available.”
Read the full story here.
Masks no longer required in Conway city-owned buildings
Conway City Council members voted Monday to end an ordinance requiring residents to wear a face mask inside city-owned buildings, according to The Sun News.
The order, which took effect during the most recent wave of COVID-19 cases, mandated residents to mask up, regardless of their vaccination status. Recent health data shows coronavirus cases in Horry County have steadily declined since the summer surge.
Council members agreed to end the order in a 6-1 vote.
Midlands hospital eases COVID-19 visitor restrictions
Lexington Medical Center will begin easing some of its COVID-19 restrictions for visitors at its hospital in West Columbia, according to The State.
Starting Monday, emergency room patients may be accompanied by one visitor, so long as there’s space in the lobby. A surge in new coronavirus cases had previously forced the hospital to bar all visitors from the emergency department, the newspaper reported.
Non-COVID patients will also be allowed up to two visitors who can stay with them in their rooms between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., allowing six more hours of visitor time. Patients awaiting surgery at the main hospital on Sunset Boulevard may also have up to two visitors.
Normalcy and chaos try to co-exist during COVID
There is an unsettling disconnect in the rhythms of South Carolina these days, when normalcy and crisis clash and co-reign.
More than a year and a half into the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 11,000 South Carolinians, early fall life looks much like it always has for many people who crowd into restaurants, sporting events, concerts and church services.
While tens of thousands gather in college football stadiums, hospitals strain under a worsening surge of COVID-19 patients.
While one community mourns the deaths of two schoolchildren, among COVID’s youngest victims, passionate crowds fill school board and council chambers to protest mask mandates.
While lines of cars wait for hours at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site in the state capital, half of the state’s eligible residents still wait or refuse to be vaccinated.
As the pandemic continues, these clashing moments mingle across the Palmetto State.
Read the full story from The State here.
Enjoy a $25 gift card to this Murrells Inlet restaurant — if you get a COVID shot
Tidelands Health is offering a new incentive to help get residents vaccinated against COVID-19, especially as the more contagious delta variant drives a surge in new cases.
The hospital system is hosting a special vaccination clinic in Murrells Inlet on Wednesday, and the first 25 people to be inoculated will receive a $25 gift card to Drunken Jack’s restaurant, the Sun News reported.
“Vaccination is our best weapon in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Our team continues to make it as convenient as possible for everyone to get this lifesaving vaccine,” Kelly Kaminski, senior director of community health resources at Tidelands Health, said in a news release.
Booster shots will also be available, hospital officials said.
The clinic opens at Inlet Affairs on Wednesday and runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 7:12 AM.
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