Coronavirus live updates for March 25: The latest in the Myrtle Beach area
The first coronavirus related death in Horry County was confirmed Tuesday, as the county’s cases continue to climb.
Confirmed cases of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, reached 20 in Horry County on Wednesday, health officials said.
One new case was reported in Horry County, and 82 additional cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in South Carolina brings the total number statewide to 424 cases in 39 counties as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
Here are live updates on the coronavirus impacts to the Myrtle Beach area for March 25.
Myrtle Beach International Airport remains open, and flights continue to arrive and depart. In a Wednesday morning release, the airport said passengers arriving from “heavily impacted areas” will undergo temperature screenings, effective immediately.
Horry County Schools takeaways:
S.C. Governor Henry McMaster announced Tuesday schools will remain closed through April.
- HCS continues to serve pick-up and delivery meals for students. Here is the schedule for meal pick up and delivery.
Restaurants and bars takeaways:
- How long can take-out only service sustain Horry County’s local restaurants? Here’s the latest.
- Dine-in services at South Carolina food establishments remain closed. Many Myrtle Beach-area restaurants and bars are offering delivery and takeout services during this time.
- McMaster has issued an order to allow establishments to serve beer and wine in to-go orders.
Golf course closures:
- Founders Group International will temporarily close five more of its courses at the end of business on Wednesday to further mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, bringing its closures to eight and the total number of course closures in the Myrtle Beach market to 11.
Community assistance:
An urgent appeal issued by Tidelands Health for help sewing new elastic bands on medical respirators has prompted an outpouring of support, though the hospital says even more help is needed. More than 1,200 area residents have volunteered to sew new bands on N95 respirators, and Phenix Engineered Textiles in Landrum has volunteered to donate enough elastic to retrofit 20,000 respirators. Additional sewing volunteers are asked to visit tidelandshealth.org or call 1-866-TIDELANDS.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) donated personal protective equipment supplies such as gloves, isolation gowns, masks and surgical caps to several local healthcare facilities this week. Conway Medical Center, Grand Strand Medical Center Emergency, Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital, McLeod Health, National Health Care, Pruitt Health Nursing Home, and Tidelands Health received supplies from the college.
Looking for ways to stay mentally healthy during the outbreak? Here’s how to ensure mental health amid fears of the virus.
Wash your hands & a smile
Don’t forget: Wash your hands. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
The best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to stay home if you feel sick or avoid people who are sick if you are health, the CDC recommends. It’s important to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, according to the CDC.
Need a smile?
Maybe this local video will bring you one today. Myrtle Beach restaurant workers made their own TikTok video to help encourage people to order to-go meals.
And maybe this video will bring calmness to your day, or at least make you wonder, “How’d they pull that off?”
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 12:09 PM.
