Coronavirus live updates April 26: Here’s the latest in the Myrtle Beach area
Bryon and Karen Busbin had no idea they’d be opening their first business amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We were aware of the situation, but kind of like everything else, you kind of think it will pass quickly,” Karen Busbin said. “In my lifetime, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Still, they knew the show had to go on.
The new Pawleys Island residents opened The Yum Yum Shop, an ice cream parlor in Garden City, on Saturday for curbside service.
For the couple who moved here from Spartanburg, opening the business was part of their retirement dream since relocating to a place they’d vacationed for many years.
“I’ve always loved this area,” Karen Busbin said.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area April 24.
The number of coronavirus cases in Horry County and the Myrtle Beach area continued to rise Saturday, with three additional cases.
The county’s total rose to 201 cases, up from 198 on Friday. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released the latest data on Saturday afternoon.
There were no new deaths in Horry County as the total remained at 12.
Georgetown County had 39 total cases, up from 37 on Friday, and remained at two overall deaths as of Saturday.
In South Carolina, there were 180 new COVID-19 cases Saturday with nine deaths, bringing the totals to 5,253 cases and 166 deaths.
Today’s takeaways
Horry County Schools’ free meal program is set to resume Monday.
With assistance from Operation BBQ Relief, the program — which was suspended after several district employees serving the meals tested positive for coronavirus — will start back up and run through May 8, according to HCS spokesperson Lisa Bourcier.
Operation BBQ Relief, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has provided more than 3 million meals in disaster relief since 2011, the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina National Guard have teamed up to help restore Horry County Schools’ meal program.
The efforts will allow HCS to resume bus-delivered meals and 13 pickup locations:
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 26, 2020 at 10:46 AM.
