Horry County sees 60 new coronavirus cases, Coastal Carolina positives drop again
Horry County added 60 coronavirus cases to its count Friday as the area experienced a drop in positive cases after a spike over the past couple days, health officials announced.
Friday’s numbers bring total COVID-19 cases in the county to (10,362) and total deaths from the virus to 188, though none on Friday, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. This week’s daily numbers are pacing far ahead of last week’s, when the weekly total was below 200 for the first time in four months.
There have been 230 positive cases in Horry County over the past three days alone.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area Oct. 9:
Georgetown County cases have grown to 1,744 since the beginning of the pandemic, DHEC reports, including seven new cases Friday.
Across South Carolina, 150,033 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and the virus has killed 3,325 people in the state since mid-March, according to DHEC data.
CCU cases drop
For the third consecutive week, the number of positive coronavirus cases recorded at Coastal Carolina University decreased compared to the previous week, according to the school.
The school announced just nine new cases Friday in the week from Oct. 1-7, all among students. The university announced 14 cases last week and 27 cases from Sept. 17-23, which accounted for the first drop in four weeks.
After announcing just three cases for the week of Aug. 20-26 – weekly test numbers are through 5 p.m. Wednesdays – the cases increased to 56 on Sept. 2, 61 on Sept. 9, and 82 on Sept. 16.
The university has registered a total of 315 cases, including 292 among students, since testing began on June 8 when athletes began returning to campus for workouts.
CCU also reported four students in isolation for positive tests and 17 in quarantine through contact tracing on Wednesday. A total of 219 students in university housing have been released or cleared from isolation, and 343 have been cleared from quarantine.
The positive test results are the combined totals of all university symptomatic testing – the general student population is being tested only when students request a test because they are symptomatic – regular surveillance testing results of student-athletes per Sun Belt Conference and NCAA guidelines, including at least weekly testing for in-season athletes, and positive test results reported by students, employees, and school affiliates.
Coastal is leasing off-campus housing properties to isolate students who have tested positive.
The fall semester began on Aug. 19 with online classes and in-person classes on campus began Sept. 8, though students have the option of either form of learning until the Thanksgiving break.
Approximately 3,800 students moved into university housing between Aug. 12 and Sept. 4, according to CCU vice president for auxiliary services Steve Harrison.
Wash hands, wear mask
This is your 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.
