National Guard returns to Myrtle Beach area as omicron spurs record COVID cases in SC
The National Guard returned to the Myrtle Beach area as COVID-19 cases overwhelm hospital resources.
Four National Guard medics arrived at Tidelands Health Tuesday, according to a news release from the hospital system.
“The support is another indication of the seriousness of the latest surge, which has led to a record number of cases statewide, a rising number of hospitalizations and a shortage of available caregivers,” the release reads.
Horry County has recorded nearly 3,000 cases since Christmas as the rapidly spreading omicron variant rivals the latest surge of cases driven by the delta variant last fall. Horry County hospital beds are nearly 87% occupied, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, with around 15% of occupied beds taken up by COVID patients.
The National Guard medics are assisting staff at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital and Georgetown Memorial Hospital, where emergency departments have been “inundated” with COVID-19 patients along with other ailments and injuries unrelated to the pandemic.
“While we are grateful for their ongoing support, we are also eager for the day when our dedicated health care professionals are no longer faced with these overwhelming COVID-19 surges,” Tidelands vice president of nursing and operations Ashley Capps said in the release.
The hospital system is urging people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus if they haven’t yet, and reminding people to utilize DHEC’s free testing opportunities instead of going to a hospital for the sole purpose of getting a COVID-19 test.apnews
To find a free COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit https://vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov/.
