Coronavirus live updates April 25: Here’s the latest in the Myrtle Beach area
Many Myrtle Beach area retail stores have opened back up and by Monday both of the Grand Strand malls are expected to be open.
Also, the City of Myrtle Beach may be closer to reopening its public beach accesses. And Pawleys Island could follow.
The city of Pawleys Island will keep public beach access closed through noon Monday, at which time town council will meet to determine what to do thereafter.
“We feel there’s a therapeutic value to opening the beach,” Beach Advisory Committee Chairman Steve Taylor said Friday. “It’s also symbolic for us to taking baby steps to returning to some sense of normalcy.”
While getting back to “normal” might still take a while, all are a sign some things are going back to usual amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area April 24.
The number of coronavirus cases in Horry County increased by two as of Friday afternoon, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Horry County has at least 198 total cases of the virus, with the first cases confirmed in the area mid March. That figure is up from the 196 cases reported on Thursday afternoon.
There have been 12 deaths due to the virus in Horry County, DHEC reports.
The number of cases in South Carolina has reached 5,070, with 125 deaths as of Friday, according to DHEC.
Today’s takeaways
Operation American Resolve, a special flyover by the South Carolina Air National Guard, will pass Tidelands Health and the Myrtle Beach area between 11:05 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. as a way of saluting health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. According to a schedule for Operation American Resolve, Swamp Fox F-16 fighter jets are set to pass over Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in that time frame Monday.
One Myrtle Beach mall has reopened and another one will shortly. Coastal Grand Mall announced Thursday evening that it was reopening Friday with operating hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach Mall announced Friday that it plans to reopen Monday at 10 a.m.
Wash your hands
Here’s your daily reminder to wash your hands. Health officials recommend washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Washing hands often and practicing social distancing can help prevent the spread of the virus, health officials say.
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
