Coronavirus by the numbers: The latest trends in Myrtle Beach, Horry County
Horry County saw a record-high number of coronavirus cases and deaths due to the virus last week, contributing to the rising trends of the pandemic, according to data from state health officials.
Between June 29 and July 5, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 10 coronavirus-related deaths and more than 1,500 coronavirus cases in Horry County.
DHEC announced a record amount of COVID-19-related deaths in one day in Horry County on Wednesday, though the department noted there was a delay in those deaths being reported to DHEC. The deaths happened between July 3-6, according to DHEC.
Between June 22-28, Horry County saw its first week of cases reach more than 1,000.
The Horry County zip code, 29588, which encompasses Socastee between Burgess and Forestbrook, has had the largest total increases each of the past two weeks, including more than 300 news cases June 30-July 6, according to DHEC data.
Myrtle Beach area health officials have previously said widespread COVID-19 testing throughout Horry and Georgetown counties helps doctors understand the severity of the virus in the area.
As of Thursday afternoon, Horry County had had 5,203 positive cases of the coronavirus since mid-March, according to DHEC. There have been 65 COVID-19-related deaths in the county.
Cases of the coronavirus in Georgetown County have remained significantly lower than in Horry County. Georgetown County’s cases of the virus have reached 724 as of Thursday, according to DHEC. The county has had seven deaths due to the virus since the start of the pandemic.
At the end of April, local health experts said the virus had reached a plateau. But the number of cases announced daily by DHEC began to rise weeks after Memorial Day weekend in Myrtle Beach. Horry County began to steadily see cases in the triple digits beginning in mid-June, and rising cases are beginning to impact tourism.
Multiple jurisdictions, including unincorporated Horry County, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown County, have passed face mask ordinances. DHEC and local officials urge people to wear face masks in public, wash their hands often and practice social distancing.
Reporter David Weissman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 12:06 PM.
