Coronavirus live updates: Here’s the latest in the Myrtle Beach area on March 16
A state of emergency remains in effect for Horry County and some area municipalities as the first cases of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, were confirmed over the weekend.
Here are live updates related to the coronavirus on Monday in the Myrtle Beach area.
Starting Tuesday, Horry County will close libraries, the museum and living farm, recreational centers and the veterans affairs office. All events and youth athletics are canceled too.
While the county government will continue to function, officials are asking the public to do as much of their business online as possible.
Officials from Tidelands Health, Conway Medical Center and Grand Strand Regional Medical Center said there are no new cases as of Monday morning. Three confirmed cases in Horry County were announced over the weekend.
Conway Medical Center announced Monday afternoon that it will not be accepting visitors younger than 18 nor those who are older than 69 beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday. The hospital noted it will continue to allow only one visitor per standard patient, two visitors (i.e. doula, labor coach, etc.) at The Birthplace and two visitors (parents/guardians) for pediatric patients.
Visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and all visitors and patients must enter through the Patient Services entrance as the main entrance will be closed. Emergency center patients should still enter through the emergency department.
Visitors at CMC will be screened for temperature/fever.
Beginning Monday, Horry County Schools will serve grab-and-go style meals to students. Here’s where to pick up meals. Students must be in the vehicle and adult meals will not be provided.
Grand Strand businesses are facing impacts from the coronavirus. “It’s going to hurt. There is no question. We’re going to probably take a hit to the pocketbook,” one business owner said.
The City of Georgetown will announce an emergency declaration at 5 p.m. Monday and move to OPCON 2. A Joint Information Center will be activated at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
All of the city’s parks and recreation facilities will temporarily close and adult and youth sports programs are being suspended until further notice. Below are other changes coinciding with the emergency declaration
- All board and county meetings, aside from a Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, are canceled until further notice.
- All court sessions have been canceled until further notice.
- Georgetown is enacting liberal leave policies for all employees.
- Hiring for non-essential county positions is frozen until further notice.
- All non-essential travel for county employees has been canceled.
- Libraries are still open, but meeting rooms will be closed.
- All other county operations and facilities will continue as usual.
Grand Strand Medical Center said Sunday morning the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control informed the facility Saturday evening that a patient tested positive for COVID-19. Two additional cases were announced Sunday afternoon. All three cases involve elderly individuals, according to DHEC.
After health officials confirmed Horry County’s first cases of the coronavirus, the City of Myrtle Beach followed the announcement by declaring a state of emergency.
Here is a list of cancellations, closures and events that are postponed.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced Sunday afternoon all schools in the state will close for two weeks, beginning today.
According to a DHEC release Sunday, there were 28 cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina. DHEC reported the state’s first death Monday related to COVID-19. The patient was a resident in Lexington County.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation Sunday night stating that events with 50 or more people should be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
The CDC urges people wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, according to its website. Here are additional details on how to prevent the spread of the virus.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s the latest in the Myrtle Beach area on March 16."
