Two Horry County high school cheer squads in quarantine due to COVID
Members of two cheer squads for Horry County Schools have been placed in quarantine after members of the groups tested positive for COVID-19.
The Myrtle Beach High School cheer squad has several members in quarantine, and members of the St. James High School junior varsity cheer squad are in isolation following a positive test in each group, Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier confirmed to The Sun News.
The cheer squads join several high school football teams in the district whose seasons have been derailed due to positive coronavirus tests. Teams from Loris High School, Green Sea Floyds High School and St. James High School are missing preseason scrimmages due to the coronavirus, and Green Sea Floyds delayed the start of its season as a result.
Team members are placed on a 14-day quarantine, Bourcier said. The Myrtle Beach High School cheer squad has some members that can return August 16, and others can resume practicing August 19. St. James JV cheer squad can return on August 19.
This marks the second year that Horry County Schools fall sports have continued through the pandemic. Last year, cancellations and postponements of games were common as players needed to quarantine following exposure to the virus.
The most recent quarantines come as the super-contagious Delta variant spurs an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across Horry County. An increasing amount of hospitalized patients are in a younger population and unvaccinated, local doctors say. The county has also been identified by the White House as a “hotspot” for the coronavirus due to increased spread in recent weeks.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 11:28 AM.
