York County adds 4 new coronavirus cases; SC total rises above 300
South Carolina health officials are reporting fewer new coronavirus cases compared to Monday, but numbers in York County continue to jump.
York County has four new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the county total to 11, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
DHEC announced Tuesday it is investigating 44 new cases of the coronavirus across the state. The department announced 103 new cases Monday.
South Carolina now has 342 total confirmed cases in 36 counties, according to DHEC. Two more people, both elderly, died after contracting the virus, DHEC announced Tuesday evening. In all, seven people in the state have died from the virus, according to DHEC.
Lancaster and Chester counties did not report new cases Tuesday. Chester County saw its first case confirmed Monday and Lancaster County has seven cases.
Chuck Haynes, York County Emergency Management Director, said Tuesday after the four new cases were announced that the public must continue to heed proper hygiene and social distancing methods that have shown in other places to be successful in curbing the spread.
“For the most part our community has followed the guidelines and we have had very few instances of people not doing what is best,” Haynes said. “This is not going to take a few days. This is something that will take a while.”
DHEC has not been releasing specific detail about new cases, like where patients live in each county, if the patients have been hospitalized or how patients may have contracted COVID-19.
Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said first responders who are the first wave of protection for the public must get information to protect themselves and others they come in contact with.
South Carolina government and health officials must either change state law or allow for “exigent circumstances” to get first responders crucial information about who has the virus and where, he said.
The South Carolina courts also could consider getting involved to ensure the safety of first responders and others, he said.
“HIPAA requirements must not stand in the way of providing first responders with information about infected citizens so that they can take the appropriate measures to protect themselves,” Brackett said. “ There are exceptions built into HIPAA to allow for the proper functioning of public safety operations. If those exceptions are not satisfactorily clear then I would hope that the courts would intervene to declare that the National Emergency declaration by the president constituted an exigent circumstance allowing for the limited suspension of those rights during the crisis.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 4:34 PM.
