Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 5
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Deaths top 1,800
At least 94,973 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 1,819 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Wednesday reported an additional 1,175 cases of the virus. An additional 45 deaths were also reported, down from 52 the day before.
The number of COVID-19 patients in South Carolina hospitals remains high, at 1,469, state data show. That includes 363 people in intensive care, 270 of them on ventilators.
As of Wednesday, 20.7% of coronavirus tests were positive. That percentage has hovered around 20% the last 28 days, reaching a high of 22.6% on July 22. Nationally, about 8.7% of tests come back positive.
Democratic voters ask judge to widen absentee voting
A group of Democratic voters is asking a federal judge to force the South Carolina Election Commission to allow all voters to cast absentee ballots for the November election.
Citing concerns over coronavirus and the safety of in-person voting, the group made the request to U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs as part of a lawsuit against the election commission.
Currently, only a few categories of people are permitted to vote absentee, such as voters who are in jail, disabled or away on vacation. The injunction request brought to Childs would allow all registered South Carolina voters to do so.
In May, Childs made the election commission get rid of a requirement that absentee voters needed to fill out their ballots in front of an independent witness.
SC can’t guarantee full-time nurses for schools
State Superintendent Molly Spearman says there’s no guarantee all South Carolina public schools will have a full-time nurse on staff when they reopen for the new academic year, despite recommendations.
The recommendation came earlier from AcceleratEd, the state task force charged with planning South Carolina’s school reopenings, doing so with the safety of students and staff in mind.
Spearman said the decision to hire a nurse is typically made locally, requiring local money.
A school nurse costs about $60,000 per year, The State reported.
Columbia extends face mask mandate
The Columbia City Council voted Tuesday to extend a face mask ordinance for people in public spaces.
The ordinance, which requires people to have a covering over the mouth and nose to help slow the spread of COVID-19, first passed in June and comes with a $25 fine for those who violate it.
With the extension, Columbia’s face masks rules will remain in effect for another two months. They can be renewed again.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 5."