Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 6
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 96,132 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 1,863 have died, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday reported an additional 1,295 cases of the virus. An additional 44 deaths were also reported, down from 45 the day before.
The number of COVID-19 patients in South Carolina hospitals remains high, at 1,492, state data show. That includes 356 people in intensive care, 276 of them on ventilators.
As of Thursday, 19.7% 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.
11th inmate dies of COVID-19
Another South Carolina Department of Corrections inmate has died due to coronavirus, the department announced Thursday.
Ernest Strong Jr., 77, tested positive at Perry Correctional Institution on July 15, was hospitalized July 27 and died Thursday. Strong is the 11th SCDC inmate to die as a result of the virus.
The department didn’t say if he had any underlying health conditions.
Ed group: Coronavirus could worsen teacher shortage
The Palmetto State Teacher’s Association expressed concern that the coronavirus could drive more teachers out of the profession, worsening South Carolina’s teacher shortage.
“We don’t have enough. We didn’t have enough before this crisis,” Patrick Kelly, the group’s director of governmental affairs said, at a news conference. “This has the potential to exacerbate this crisis even further if we aren’t careful in how we approach it.”
The pandemic has fundamentally changed how the job is done, saddling teachers with new responsibilities and new stresses.
The news conference was held to announce a recent report from the organization, which shared findings from a survey of 1,200 South Carolina teachers. The group also called on state officials to improve conditions for both educators and students.
Some schools will start virtually
The Beaufort County School District will start the academic year with online learning in response to a rising number of coronavirus cases.
The district had planned to offer both virtual and and in-person learning options. But Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said Tuesday that “conditions must be safer than they are today” for that to happen, The Island Packet reported.
Public school students in Horry County will also likely start the school year online, The Myrtle Beach Sun News reported.
This story was originally published August 6, 2020 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Aug. 6."