Coronavirus live updates: Here are the latest local updates from March 14
The spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, has led to emergency measures across South Carolina and Horry County.
Here’s a rundown of how the virus is affecting events and operations as of Saturday afternoon. The situation could change, so check back for updates throughout the day.
Also, help protect your fellow citizens and wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
Emergency declaration
▪ Horry County declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to the coronavirus threat.
The announcement followed similar declarations from President Donald Trump and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Friday.
Horry County will be operating at OPCON-2, which means emergency plans can begin but the rest of county government will function.
If you need to visit county offices, officials ask you consider using services on the Horry County website. Horry County’s announcement stated that the declaration is cautionary, and that there are still no confirmed cases in the area.
▪ The City of Conway joined Horry County in declaring a state of emergency on Saturday due to coronavirus, COVID-19.
City Council met in an emergency meeting to vote unanimously to begin emergency plans and preparedness for the next 60 days unless council decides otherwise.
Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said this is a new challenge, but tasked staff with keeping city employees and residents safe while keeping council informed of changes.
Starting Monday, the city government and services will continue to function although a lot of work will be done remotely or over the phone. Fire and public safety will continue.
The city council meeting for Monday is also canceled and plans are being made to do remote meetings with public comment in the future. Planning commission and other committee meetings will be canceled.
Youth sports could be postponed on Monday depending on what the school board decides. City of Conway Parks and Recreation Department announced it would be closing the Conway Recreation Center immediately and the situation will be evaluated on a regular basis.
▪ The Town of Surfside Beach on Saturday followed suit with other local governments by declaring a state of emergency amid the threat of coronavirus.
Horry County case?
Rumors of a positive case in Horry County were swirling Saturday on social media and in public.
Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, where a possible case had been rumored, said in a news release Saturday that it had not received any patients testing positive for the coronavirus.
“While we don’t have any patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, we continue to evaluate our efforts to protect our patients, our staff and our community. With that in mind, we have made the difficult decision to limit visitors in order to protect our most vulnerable and prevent the potential spread of any illness in our facilities,” Chief Nursing Officer Tiffany Keys said in a prepared statement.
The facility announced that at 7 a.m. Sunday it would begin limiting visitors. The following are the guidelines for visiting beginning then:
• All visitors must be adults 18-69 years of age.
• Children under 18 will not be allowed to enter the facility, unless presenting for care.
• Adults age 70 and older will not be allowed to enter the facility, unless presenting for care.
• Government issued identification must be presented at the time of screening to verify age.
• Visitation exceptions for extraordinary situations will be carefully evaluated and must be pre-approved.
• Patients with pending results for COVID-19 testing will not be allowed to have any visitors of any age until the test is returned from SCDHEC and confirmed negative.
Not closed
Myrtle Beach officials assured the public Saturday that a graphic circulating on social media saying the city is closed to tourists is fake.
“Some of you may have seen this graphic floating around social media. This is false information. The City of of Myrtle beach IS open. No traffic is being stopped or rerouted,” Mayor Brenda Bethune said in a Facebook post.
The misleading post claimed checkpoints were set up to check IDs in order to only let local residents in.
Brunswick County presumptive case
Horry County’s neighboring county in North Carolina announced its first presumptive positive case of coronavirus Friday night.
Brunswick County announced in a news release late Friday evening that it identified its first case of coronavirus, or COVID-19. The county has sent the results to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for final confirmation.
Brunswick County said the person is in self-isolation and is doing well. Health officials are monitoring the situation.
“We are in communication with the individual and the NC Department of Health and Human Services to follow the next steps in our response plan for this kind of situation,” Health and Human Services Director David Stanley said in a prepared statement. “All our efforts are being made with the utmost concern and care for the health and well-being of both this individual and the general public.”
The person with the presumptive positive case recently traveled to Louisiana, where the symptoms began. Upon returning home, the individual was still experiencing symptoms and consulted medical professionals. One other adult in the home has been self-quarantined.
The county later reported that the person with the positive case flew in to Wilmington International Airport on Tuesday. In the coming days health officials will reach out to people who may have been within 6 feet of the individual. Those who were might be asked to self-quarantine while monitoring potential symptoms.
On or off?
- New Directions of Horry County announced via Facebook on Saturday that its “Compassion Through Fashion” fashion show,” scheduled for later tonight, has been postponed. The organization stated it hopes to reschedule the event and will provide and update at a later date. “We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this unprecedented and ever-evolving situation. As always, thank you for your support!”
- The Big “M” Casino in Little River continues to operate as usual while noting on its website it has “enhanced some of our hygiene procedures onboard to continue to protect the health and safety of our patrons and our employees by adding additional hand sanitizers and disinfectant cloths throughout the ship. The marine crew will continually sanitize all door handles, rails and surfaces before, during and after each cruise. Rest assured we have initiated extra training and cleanliness practices in addition to screening all employees and passengers for any sign of illness.”
- Hot Fish Club in Murrells Inlet announced Saturday that the 2nd Annual Taco Madness Cook-Off scheduled for March 29 has been canceled out of precaution. The event was to benefit All 4 Paws Animal Rescue, and Hot Fish Club recommends that anyone who was interested in going to the event still donate to the charity.
HGTC update
Horry-Georgetown Technical College has canceled all classes from March 16-20, including clinicals and internships. The institution has also decided to move all in-person classes to online instruction following spring break for the remainder of the spring semester.
Beginning March 30, Horry Georgetown Tech will begin the online transition. Students will receive more details later in the week. HGTC faculty and staff is expected to report Monday as usual.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 12:04 PM.
