South Carolina cases rise to 12; Beaufort hospital staff isolates and events cancel
Four Beaufort Memorial Hospital employees were in isolation Thursday, and Hilton Head Island canceled its St. Patrick’s Day festivities as the novel coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country and state.
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 12 cases of coronavirus reported in South Carolina by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Six of the 12 have been confirmed.
The other six have tested positive for coronavirus but are awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the two new cases is in Lancaster County, and the other is in Kershaw, the state reported.
No cases have been reported in Beaufort County.
The four Beaufort Memorial Hospital employees are in self-isolation after coming in contact with two people under investigation for possible COVID-19 exposure, a hospital release says.
“Our four employees are considered low-risk for COVID-19,” hospital President and CEO Russell Baxley said in the release. “However, testing for COVID-19 will be conducted by an authorized lab as a precaution.”
Hilton Head’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled Thursday afternoon after parade organizers met with town and county officials, co-chair Alan Perry said.
A Beaufort High School employee who had been self-isolating since Tuesday while awaiting a COVID-19 test result tested negative for the virus on Thursday.
The employee was considered a low risk, according to the Beaufort County School District, which announced the isolation in a Wednesday evening news release.
“The employee was tested out of an abundance of caution,” the district said.
Beaufort County hospitals
South Carolina’s DHEC is testing the two individuals with possible exposure whom the Beaufort Memorial Hospital employees came in contact with, the hospital’s release says.
The hospital set up call-ahead screenings on Wednesday for patients at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Express Care Clinics if they have fever and respiratory symptoms, hospital officials said Wednesday.
Visit Beaufort Memorial’s website at www.beaufortmemorial.org/coronavirus for more information or email healthupdates@bmhsc.org.
Daisy Burroughs, spokesperson for Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital, said that because of privacy laws, she couldn’t release information on whether anyone has been seen or tested for coronavirus.
Asked about resources and procedures, Burroughs responded, “We follow CDC guidelines for identification and treatment of patients with suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Our hospital has taken the appropriate steps, and we have trained professionals and the necessary equipment to react accordingly.”
Beaufort County schools
Classes at Beaufort High School and other Beaufort County schools are operating on a normal schedule.
District officials are following recommendations from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the S.C. Department of Education, neither of which have recommended closing schools.
District officials are following recommendations from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the S.C. Department of Education, neither of which have recommended closing schools.
The district announced Thursday it is postponing student trips outside the district and temporarily suspending health occupation internships for students in career and technology education courses.
Beaufort County nursing homes
After 23 deaths were linked to the spread of the COVID-19 virus at a Life Care Center nursing home in Washington state, Beaufort County senior living facilities are taking precautions to limit the possibility of coronavirus exposure among elderly residents.
“The grim reality is that, for the elderly, COVID-19 is almost a perfect killing machine,” Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, told CNN. Parkinson’s organization represents more than 11,000 nursing homes and care centers and is encouraging family members and loved ones to avoid visiting facilities and instead communicate remotely with residents.
As of Thursday afternoon, several had restricted visitors and instituted screening procedures including Bloom Senior Living locations, Benton House at Bluffton and Life Care Center of Hilton Head.
Beaufort County businesses
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were canceled Thursday afternoon, and a few Hilton Head hotels noted their rooms were less filled than they typically are.
Hotels across the island said they are receiving “plenty” of calls from guests canceling reservations, blaming the virus.
At the Days Inn by Wyndham Hilton Head near Shelter Cove, the hotel had received at least 19 cancellations Thursday over coronavirus fears.
The Palmera Inn & Suites near the Shipyard Plantations reported it is expecting a 10-15% decrease this year in rooms filled over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with the highest occupancy rate likely to reach 67%.
More southeast, the Best Western Ocean Breeze Inn said it was 63% booked for St. Patrick’s celebrations, compared to 100% last year. Though, the inn usually sees a lot of last-minute bookings, noted a front desk representative.
Bigger hotels like the Beach House, Hilton Head Island near Coligny Beach, the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa near Palmetto Dunes, and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort reported very few cancellations and normal St. Patrick’s Day weekend numbers.
Fewer travelers could have downstream effects on the local economy.
In 2018, tourist spending brought in $1.4 billion for Beaufort County, according to a study from Regional Transactions Concepts LLC.
Parris Island
All activities at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, including Friday’s graduation ceremony, have been canceled.
“Future graduations will remain closed to the public until further notice,” a statement from the depot said.
As a precautionary measure, preliminary screening has been implemented for recruits upon arrival the the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 5:57 PM.