Coronavirus live updates for Dec. 30: Horry adds death as county closes in on 18,000 cases
Cases of the coronavirus increased by 143 in Horry County Wednesday, health officials announced.
Horry County has seen 17,795 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. An additional death reported Wednesday brings the county’s total number of deaths to 260 since mid-March.
The county has 44 hospital beds available as of Tuesday with 93.7% occupancy, DHEC reports.
At a homeless shelter in Myrtle Beach, 11 men are in quarantine as the shelter reports its first COVID-19 case since the beginning of the pandemic.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Myrtle Beach area Dec. 30:
Georgetown County’s case count has reached 2,973 since mid-March, DHEC data shows. The county has recorded 55 coronavirus deaths.
Hospital bed occupancy in Georgetown County was 89.1% as of Tuesday, meaning the county has 20 beds available, DHEC data shows.
Across South Carolina, 280,024 cases have been reported as 4,846 people have died of COVID-19, according to DHEC. The state has seen increasing positivity rates throughout December. DHEC recorded 7,391 tests Tuesday, 31.4% of which were positive as health experts aim to bring that figure to 5% or below.
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 30, 2020 at 1:17 PM.
