| The Greenville News & Independent Mail
note: The coronavirus outbreak is a rapidly developing event and this story contains information that has only been updated through April 16, 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 or independentmail.com.
Map SC COVID-19: County by county analysis for coronavirus cases
Coronavirus news: Empyrean re-openings in Carolina del Sur
Full coverage: Everything you need to know about coronavirus in South Carolina
SC companies are opening ahead of schedule, health experts say
New cases of coronavirus in Greenville County appear to have declined in the past two weeks, according to local health experts, but the community has yet to see the downward trajectory that the White House wants for a gradual reopening of the economy.
However, this reopening is already underway.
Read the full story here.
More COVID-19 cases discovered in nursing homes, assisted care facilities
State health officials say they are prioritizing COVID-19 testing in nursing homes, rehabilitation and assisted care facilities, where the spread of respiratory illnesses is common and residents are generally at increased risk of complications from the disease.
The list of COVID-19 infections at these facilities has grown this week, with 435 cases reported at 56 facilities. On Tuesday, DHEC reported 246 cases in 53 facilities. Nursing homes are required to report COVID-19 infections to DHEC.
Here are the facilities in the interior of the state where several cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.
- Greer Health and Rehabilitation Center with 40 cases
- Greenville Post Acute Care with 21 cases
- Poinsett Health and Rehabilitation Center in Greenville with 12 cases
- Simpsonville Health and Rehabilitation Center with 10 cases
- Rolling Green Village Healthcare Facility in Greenville with eight cases
- Spartanburg Rehab Institute with six cases
- Brushy Creek Post Acute in Greer with three cases
- White Oak in North Grove in Spartanburg with three boxes
- Cascades in Verdae in Greenville with two boxes
See the full list here.
COVID-19 infections are the top 5,000 in SC
On Friday, 168 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and eight people with the disease were announced as dead, including a middle-aged person and an elderly person from Greenville County.
In South Carolina, according to information from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, 5,070 people tested positive for the virus and 157 died. A person previously announced as having died of COVID-19 has been removed from the state total while authorities analyze whether the death was in fact related to the virus.
Pickens and Oconee County Schools Plan Personal Graduations
In separate statements, the school districts of Pickens and Oconee County said they are planning graduation ceremonies in person.
If restrictions on social distance are lifted, the Pickens County School District plans to hold graduation ceremonies at high school football stadiums and will also broadcast the ceremonies live to anyone who does not attend. The district plans to announce the dates of the ceremonies by May 11.
The Oconee County School District is also planning to hold graduation ceremonies in person, if possible. The ceremonies will be transferred from the Littlejohn Coliseum to the football stadium in each high school. The district may restrict the number of guests allowed to attend the ceremony. The date of the ceremonies will be announced later, according to a statement from the school district.
Prisma Health partners with distillery to buy hand sanitizer
Prisma Health partnered with Anderson’s Palmetto Distillery and Helena Island’s Seaside Grown to buy hand sanitizer made from denatured ethanol, which is the same as normal ethanol, but contains a small amount of denaturing agent to make it inedible.
In late March, the FDA gave temporary approval to unregulated entities such as drug makers, such as distilleries and farmers, to produce hand sanitizers if they followed certain protocols.
Prisma Health plans to place the hand sanitizer in one-gallon jars with pumps that can be used to refill smaller containers, as well as fill more than 4,000 one- and two-ounce personal bottles for employees and guests in Upstate.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, disinfectant requires the use of 60% or more alcohol to be effective. The disinfectant produced by the distilleries contains 80% alcohol, which makes it a suitable disinfectant for healthcare professionals and the general public.
Oconee County expands park closure
In an effort to protect people’s health, the park’s camps and areas of daily use will remain closed in Oconee County until further notice.
This includes Chau Ram, High Falls and South Cove County parks. Camp reservations are canceled and refunded until May 31, according to Oconee County Parks, Recreation & Tourism. This date is subject to change.
The South Cove boat ramp will remain open from 7 am to 8 pm for boat launch traffic. No other entry is permitted in the parks. The High Falls boat ramp is closed until further notice.
The boat ramps at Lake Hartwell administered by Oconee County will remain open to boat launch traffic. Playgrounds and bathrooms are closed.
In addition, the Oconee History Museum will remain closed.
Contact Oconee County Parks, Recreation & Tourism at 864-882-5250.
Projections predict more than 7,000 cases in SC by May 9
During the weekly news conference in the city of Greenville on Friday, Dr. Brennan Traxler, of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina is expected to increase further. from 7,000 to mid-May.
The trend suggests that the rate of new cases is starting to stabilize, but Traxler said it is not consistent enough to be sure, and limited testing is still hampering DHEC’s ability to fully track the spread of the virus.
While experts are optimistic, Traxler said it is still essential that residents continue to practice social detachment to stem the tide of the pandemic.
Group protests closure of SC business in Columbia
Protesters gathered for a socially distant demonstration in front of the South Carolina State House.
Protesters are raising flags and displaying posters on their cars to criticize Governor Henry McMaster’s decision to close non-essential deals to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
A reporter and photographer from The Greenville News and Anderson Independent Mail is on the scene.
Follow the live coverage here.
Many senior students in high school want to wait for graduation in person
With South Carolina’s public elementary, middle and high schools closed for the rest of the year, seniors in the north of the state are missing many of the milestones that define their senior year of high school.
School districts are canceling proms, and it is unclear how many will attend graduation.
But some elderly people in Greenville and Anderson counties are saying they would be willing to postpone graduation ceremonies to receive them in person.
Read the full story.
At least 185 accused of violating SC emergency orders so far
Court records show that the police accused at least 185 people of failing to comply with South Carolina’s emergency orders related to the coronavirus pandemic.
People were indicted in half of the state’s 46 counties by 18 different state, district and municipal agencies, the records show. Just under half of the tickets listed in the registers were issued in Georgetown, Horry and Beaufort counties along the coast, but none were registered in Charleston county. Sumter County had the third highest number of tickets listed, all issued by the Sumter Police Department.
Many of the tickets were issued in connection with restricted access to the beach, while some supplemented the separate charges and others were given to business owners who refused to close operations despite closure orders.
Read the full story.