Coronavirus live updates for Dec. 2: Horry reports highest daily count since July
Coronavirus cases increased by 142 and one more person died of COVID-19 in Horry County Wednesday, health officials announced.
The county’s total number of cases has reached 13,799 and 231 people have died of the virus since mid-March, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The death reported Wednesday was a person in the elderly category, according to DHEC.
Horry County’s daily caseloads have typically fallen far below 100 in recent weeks. Wednesday’s daily total is the highest since July 21, when the county added 190 cases in a single day.
Hospital bed occupancy is 88.7% as of Tuesday, with 76 beds available across Horry County, DHEC reports.
Masks are still required in multiple cities across the county, though Horry County council hasn’t had a mask mandate in place for more than a month, meaning unincorporated areas of the county don’t require masks in public.
Myrtle Beach’s civil emergency was extended this week, meaning the mask requirement will last until at least the end of the year. North Myrtle Beach is set to vote on whether to extend its state of emergency — and its mask requirement — at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area Dec. 2:
Georgetown County has recorded 2,244 coronavirus cases and 48 deaths so far in the pandemic, according to DHEC. A person in the elderly category died of COVID-19 in late November, but the death was officially added to the county’s count Wednesday. The county has 30 hospital beds available as 83.6% are occupied.
Across the state, 206,653 cases of the coronavirus have been reported, according to DHEC. South Carolina has seen 4,126 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
DHEC recorded 7,480 tests Tuesday with a positivity rate of 21.6%. Health experts are aiming to bring that figure down to 5% or below, but South Carolina has been reporting a positivity rate of more than 10% for weeks.
Wash your hands & wear a 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 the City of Myrtle Beach, the City of North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown County.
To get a free DHEC-sponsored test, visit scdhec.gov/findatest for a testing location near you. DHEC testing is free, doesn’t require insurance, and results are available within 72 hours. DHEC’s testing options have expanded to include shallow nasal testing, an oral swab, or a saliva test at different locations.
* Editor’s Note: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s daily news releases sometimes show case numbers that differ from the department’s map. Officials have said the map is the most accurate source, so the map numbers are cited by The Sun News. DHEC also lists “probable” coronavirus cases and deaths, but because those cases are not confirmed they are not included in The Sun News’ reports.
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
