Coronavirus live updates July 16: Four additional deaths confirmed in Horry County
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Horry County increased by 145 Thursday afternoon along with four additional deaths, health officials announced.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reports a total of 6,386 positive coronavirus cases in Horry County since mid-March. There have been 79 deaths due to the coronavirus in the county.
DHEC’s daily news release listed 142 new cases in Horry County, but the department’s map, which officials have told The Sun News is a more accurate depiction of total cases, jumped by 145 since yesterday.
The four additional deaths, all reportedly people older than 65 year, were among 69 deaths confirmed Thursday by DHEC, which noted those deaths occurred over the past few weeks, and the delay is often attributed to ensuring the death is accurately reported based on the most up-to-date federal guidelines. The high total comes a day after zero COVID-19 deaths were reported statewide.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area today.
While daily case totals remain high in the Myrtle Beach area, the weekly total reported in the county actually declined by about 200 cases last week for the first time since mid-May, according to DHEC data. The 1,311 cases confirmed last week are still the second highest weekly total in Horry.
It’s unknown if the slight dip in new cases also means a lower percentage of people getting tested are receiving positive results because DHEC doesn’t currently provide testing data by county.
Data provided by DHEC in conjunction with the S.C. Department of Education tracking virus activity in each county that will be used to determine when students can return to in-person learning shows 25.2 percent of those being tested in Horry the past two weeks are positive, which is among the highest in the state.
Statewide, more than 8,600 were tested yesterday, and 21.3 percent of those tested positive, DHEC data shows.
A DHEC spokesperson told The Sun News that officials are in the process of building a county-level dashboard that will provide more detailed information including testing and demographics for each county, and they hope to unveil that by the end of July.
Broken down by zip code, there was a reduction last week in new cases within 11 of 16 zip codes in the county.
The largest weekly increase based on population size was in 29572, which includes a stretch of Myrtle Beach coastline bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway from 62nd Avenue North to 48th Avenue South, with an increase of about 646 cases per 100,000 residents.
DHEC has announced 595 cases of the coronavirus so far this week in Horry County.
Cases in Georgetown County have reached 911, with 10 deaths reported, according to DHEC.
COVID-19 cases in South Carolina have totaled 63,880, DHEC reports. There have been 1,053 virus-related deaths in the state. As of Monday, DHEC reports a 92% recovery rate.
About 73 percent of hospital beds statewide, and 84 percent in Horry, are currently occupied, with 1,578 occupied by patients with COVID-19 or awaiting test results, according to DHEC, which adds that 214 of those patients are on ventilators.
Today’s takeaways:
- In case you missed it: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster urged the state’s school districts to reopen doors to students in-person after Labor Day, rather than hold classroom instruction online, despite a growing concern from teachers that the state’s COVID-19 outbreak poses a grave threat to them and their students.
- And as for high school sports in South Carolina, there will be a later start this season. Here’s the latest.
Wash your hands & wear a mask
Here is a daily reminder to wash your hands often, wear a mask and practice social distancing.
DHEC asks people to wear a mask when visiting public places and practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is now mandatory to wear face masks in certain public areas in unincorporated Horry County, the City of Myrtle Beach, the City of North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown County.
Health officials say washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 3:06 PM.
