Here are the latest updates from this weekend as COVID-19 impacts Upstate SC

Greenville News and Spartanburg Herald Journal

note: The coronavirus outbreak is a rapidly developing event and this story contains information that has only been updated through August 23, 2020. Some of the information here may have changed due to the nature of the pandemic; updates are reflected in more current stories. For news about the coronavirus outbreak and its impact in South Carolina, visit greenvillenews.com, independentmail.com. or goupstate.com.

Map of coronavirus SC: An analysis of COVID-19 cases by county and postal code

Cases of SC coronavirus, deaths decrease

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced on Sunday 663 new confirmed cases and 33 new probable cases of the new coronavirus COVID-19, 8 additional confirmed deaths and 4 new probable deaths.

As of Saturday, the state had 825 new confirmed cases, 68 new probable cases, 33 additional deaths and 2 new probable deaths from the new coronavirus COVID-19.

Sunday’s figures bring the total number of confirmed cases to 110,658, probable cases to 1,330, confirmed deaths to 2,380 and 124 likely deaths.

Two of the confirmed deaths reported on Sunday occurred in Anderson County.

The recently confirmed cases in Upstate were in Greenville County (51), Anderson County (27), Pickens County (24) and Spartanburg County (18).

On Saturday, DHEC said a total of 954,442 tests were carried out in the state.

The agency said in its statement that, through its quality control process, it found that the number of tests performed was doubled in four days: May 1, June 1, July 1 and August 1.

DHEC is removing this duplication of numbers in these four days, which leads to a reduction of approximately 21 thousand in the total of tests carried out in the state. This duplication did not affect the test results (positive or negative); the number of tests for those four days was counted twice during a data processing error that the statement said and the processing problem was fixed.

The Pickens County school district has 22 employees, 5 students quarantined for COVID-19

Days before school started, the Pickens County School District reported that it had 22 employees and five employees who were quarantined because they had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Two students and five team members tested positive for the virus, according to district spokesman John Eby.

Read the full story here

COVID-19 hospitalizations in SC have decreased, but will the trend last?

While expressing relief at the decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations, two medical experts said at a new conference on Friday that the trend may not last if people let their guard down during the Labor Day holiday and football seasons and university.

“Things are looking up a lot,” said Dr. Eric Ossmann, head of preparation at Prisma Health. “But people are still getting this disease and we can’t, especially on Labor Day holidays, you know, just pretend that it went away because it didn’t.”

Primsa Health System and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System have seen the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients drop by 50% since a sudden increase in July.

Read the full story here

DHEC announces Friday numbers

On Friday, SC’s DHEC announced 967 new confirmed cases and 52 additional confirmed deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 109,135 and confirmed deaths to 2,339.

The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday across the state was 7,436 (not including antibody tests) and the positive percentage was 13.0%.

McMaster calls for updated guidelines for personal visits to nursing homes

Governor Henry McMaster on Friday asked the South Carolina public health agency to “promptly issue” updated guidelines, including all the information and guidance needed to resume personal visitation to state nursing homes and welfare facilities.

“Restricting visits to our state’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities in March was a painful necessity,” wrote McMaster in a letter to Mark Elam, chairman of the board of the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. “It was the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save the lives of the elderly and at-risk residents of our state.

“As expected, this separation and isolation caused loneliness, depression, stress and anxiety among residents and frustrated those who were concerned about the well-being of a parent, grandparent or other loved one.

“Since that time, experience and resources have accelerated our efforts,” said McMaster.

Full story here

We want to talk to parents about the first week of school

This will be an academic year unlike any other – many students will attend classes on Monday for the first time since schools in South Carolina closed in March, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Other students will appear for class on a computer screen in their rooms.

The Greenville News and Anderson Independent Mail want to talk to parents about the first day and the first week of school, whether it’s wearing a mask and stepping into a classroom for the first time in five months or turning on a laptop and finishing school. kitchen table. And we want to keep in touch about how you are feeling about the school year as you go along.

To tell us your experience, click here and fill out the form.

What to know Friday

  • On Thursday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 896 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 42 additional confirmed deaths.
  • While expressing confidence that South Carolina’s economy will recover from the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Henry McMaster instructed more than a dozen state agencies on Thursday to plan to cut their budgets by up to 3% during the current fiscal year. . Read the details.
  • Despite the outbreak that closed the historic courthouse, Anderson County leaders took no steps to approve, or even draft, a mask requirement across the county to slow the spread of COVID-19.
  • Contrary to a downward trend last month, claims for unemployment benefits increased last week in South Carolina and in the interior of the state, the SC Department of Employment and Workforce reported on Thursday.
  • There have been many efforts in the community to help the Latin population of Greenville County during the COVID-19 pandemic through donations of cash and food, subsidies to local businesses, testing and communication in Spanish. But is it enough?

Source