COVID-19 live updates for Dec. 20: Myrtle Beach area adds dozens of new cases
Another 82 coronavirus cases were added to Horry County’s total count on Sunday.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released updated case information on Sunday. The Myrtle Beach area now has a total of 16,139 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started in early March. On Saturday, the county had a total of 16,057 cases.
Horry County has had 247 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the data.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area Dec. 20:
In Horry County, there have been more than 2,200 cases in the last two weeks, according to the DHEC data. Since the pandemic started, the age group with the largest percentage of cases is 21 to 30 year olds at 16.3%. The next highest is in the 51-60 age bracket at 14.9% of cases.
The average age of a person infected by COVID-19 in Horry County is 45 years old. The oldest person to be infected is 103 years old.
In Georgetown County, there have been 2,674 coronavirus cases, with 50 deaths, according to DHEC.
Across South Carolina there have been 253,034 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started. There have been a total of 4,566 deaths in South Carolina.
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 20, 2020 at 11:07 AM.
