Myrtle Beach area hospitals increasing precautions to reduce coronavirus spread
Myrtle Beach area hospitals are continuing to ramp up precautions in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Grand Strand Health, Tidelands Health and Conway Medical Center have all restricted entrances and are limiting the amount and age of visitors.
Conway Medical and Tidelands announced in separate press releases that hospital visitation is being restricted to one visitor per patient, and all visitors must be be over the age of 12. CMC’s restrictions begin 7 a.m. Friday, while Tidelands’ are effective immediately.
Conway Medical will also beginning Monday be staffing a phone line with a registered nurse at 843-234-8683 for a COVID-19 screening. The line will be available 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. during weekdays.
Grand Strand Health, which has limited visitors to two per patient, is offering a free telehealth option at 843-692-4444 for community members with questions about the virus. That line will be available 24/7.
The health care providers are also advising anyone with flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath or chills not to visit hospitals.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Controls has identified six positive cases of the virus in South Carolina with another six presumed positive, but none in the Grand Strand area.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 4:41 PM.
