SC agriculture commissioner tests positive for coronavirus
Hugh Weathers, South Carolina’s agriculture commissioner, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he announced Thursday.
In a series of tweets, the S.C. Department of Agriculture said Weathers was tested Monday after a “suspected exposure” to COVID-19. He is experiencing minor symptoms and he and his wife will now self-quarantine according to guidelines from DHEC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.
Weathers is one of the highest-ranking officials in the state to announce a positive test for the virus. He is not appointed by the governor but instead directly elected and has headed up the agriculture department since 2004. Most recently, he was re-elected in 2018 with more than 75% of the vote.
As commissioner, Weathers oversees the department’s food safety, permitting, land registry and entrepreneurship development programs, among others. He also helps to promote South Carolina agriculture.
South Carolina U.S. Reps. Joe Cunningham and Tom Rice have both announced positive tests for the coronavirus. State Rep. Kambrell Garvin, from Columbia, has as well.
South Carolina has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations over the last several weeks. The state passed 50,000 total confirmed cases on Thursday, and the Department of Health and Environmental Control reported that the state’s hospitals are more than 75% full, with a record 1,433 beds occupied by coronavirus patients.
Gov. Henry McMaster has urged residents to wear masks and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus, but he has said he will not impose a statewide requirement to wear face masks. In the meantime, dozens of local governments have passed their own ordinances requiring them.
