Coronavirus cases rise in York, Lancaster counties; executive order enforced on boats
Five new coronavirus cases were reported in York County on Sunday, and four new cases were reported in Lancaster County, state health officials said.
South Carolina health officials are investigating 113 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The state now has 774 confirmed cases in 40 of the state’s 46 counties.
DHEC also announced Sunday that an elderly individual in Horry County died after contracting the virus. In all, 16 people in the state have died from the virus.
York County now has 36 coronavirus cases. Lancaster County has 13 and Chester County has two, according to DHEC.
On Saturday, York County saw a spike with 13 new cases. Michael Johnson, York County Council Chairman, said he expects the county will continue to see more spikes in the number of cases.
“Unfortunately, we are going to see increases in York County and all of South Carolina for the next few weeks,” Johnson said. “I would urge everyone to continue to wash their hands and practice social distancing.”
Johnson said the projections DHEC has shared with counties show an expected increase.
“The projections that I have seen reflect what is happening,” Johnson said. “The good news is that we are not seeing the high spread numbers that some areas have. Let’s continue to help each other and support one another until we see the numbers shift.”
Social distancing amid coronavirus threat
Over the weekend, S.C. Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Officers have had to disperse groups of more than three on boats, said Officer Jeff Vissage.
Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order banning non-family groups of more than three applies to boating and lake recreation, Vissage said.
Officers found a group of several dozen people playing volleyball on Goat Island off of Ebenezer Park, Vissage said. Clusters of boaters at the Lake Wylie sandbar were also broken up, Vissage said.
Violation of the order is a misdemeanor. McMaster’s executive order and state law leaves enforcement and charging decisions in the hands of law enforcement. Vissage said no tickets were issued this weekend.
“People have dispersed quietly and without any problems,” Vissage said. “But people need to remember that the governor made it clear that these groups are not in compliance with the law right now.”
Vissage said recreational boating remains legal.
“We understand there isn’t a lot to do,” Vissage said. “But some of these instances have shown where people are not following guidelines for social distancing and large groups. The governor’s order applies in all public places, and Lake Wylie is one of those places.”
Where COVID-19 cases come from
Until Friday, DHEC had not been publicly releasing specific details on cases, such as where patients live within their county, how they contracted the virus or if they have been hospitalized. The department has since released information on the county ZIP codes that have positive cases of the virus.
The breakdown as of Friday in York County is:
- 29707 - 2 cases
- 29708 - 2 cases
- 29715 - 8 cases
- 29730 - 3 cases
- 29732 - 1 case
Two cases in York County do not have ZIP code information, and new cases are not reflected, according to DHEC.
Chester County has one case in ZIP code 29706. Lancaster County has one case in ZIP code 29067, one in 29646, one in 29707 and three in 29720, reports DHEC.
Other ZIP code information has not been reported. The ZIP code 29707 covers an area that includes parts of Lancaster and York counties.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 4:24 PM.
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