COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 10
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 1,100 SC residents hospitalized with COVID-19
At least 527,409 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 8,808 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,954 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 102 more than were reported than the day before. The state also reported 11 coronavirus-related deaths.
Over 1,100 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Aug. 9, including 317 patients in the ICU. The state updates hospitalizations once a week.
As of Tuesday, 15.5% 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.
Just over 45% of eligible South Carolina residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and nearly 53% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
Shag dance festival in jeopardy as COVID cases rise
Attendees of the annual Fall Migration shag dancing festival in North Myrtle Beach may have to sit it out for the second year in a row as the delta variant drives a surge in coronavirus cases, the Sun News reported.
Shag dancing, or the Carolina Shag, is a style of swing dance popularized in the mid-20th century. It originated in the Myrtle Beach area, according to the Sun News, and remains a popular form of entertainment among older adults.
Festival organizers were forced to call off the event, usually held at the end of September, last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are considering it again as cases rise in Horry County.
“That’s a hard question,” Ronnie Chapman, who heads the Society of Stranders board, told the Sun News. “We certainly want it to happen, we want it to get better. It’s questions we’ll be forced to answer,” he said. “We’re kind of at that point now where we’re monitoring the situation closely.”
Charleston in ‘code red situation’ amid coronavirus surge
The COVID-19 delta variant is wreaking havoc across South Carolina, and the situation is worsening in Charleston, experts with the Medical University of South Carolina told The State.
An analysis by MUSC found that new daily cases in the tri-cities area — Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties — neared 3,000 for the week ending Aug. 3. It marked a 140% increase from the previous week, when cases totaled 1,230.
“It’s worse than I thought. We’re in a code red situation,” MUSC Ph.D researcher Micheal Sweat told the newspaper in a statement. “I worry that people aren’t realizing this is happening.”
Read the full story on the analysis here.
McMaster says no to mask mandates, ‘strongly encourages’ vaccinations
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is holding firm in his his stance against mask mandates, even as COVID-19 cases soar and the delta variant poses serious health risks for residents statewide, according to The State.
“Shutting our state down, closing schools and masking the children, who have no choice, for the government to mask children who have no choice, to protect adults who do have a choice, is the wrong thing to do,” McMaster said at a news conference Monday. “And we’re not going to do it.”
However, the governor said he “strongly encourages” everyone to get vaccinated as the school year ramps up.
“All the activity going on, football games are starting again, classes are starting again,” he said. “Now is a great time. If you’re ready to get a vaccination, go ahead and get it, now is the time.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 7:17 AM with the headline "COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 10."