A 20th COVID death in Horry, Loris area cases explode; seven more infected in Columbus; museums to open
A field demonstration at Horry County’s L.W. Paul Living History Farm. See the story on museum openings below. (File photo)
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
A 20th COVID-19 related death in Horry County was reported by state health officials Thursday, with an explosive rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Loris and an additional case in Green Sea also revealed.
Coronavirus cases also climbed in Columbus County on Thursday, while the planned reopening’s of museums in Horry signaled steps towards a new normal.
This post will cover these topics and may be updated:
- A 20th COVID death in Horry, 12 new Loris area cases, another in Green Sea
- Columbus reports seven new COVID cases
- Horry museum, Living History Farm to reopen
A 20th COVID death in Horry, 12 new Loris area cases, another in Green Sea
Horry County has recorded its 20th COVID-19 related death, with an additional 13 residents testing positive for the coronavirus, 12 in the Loris Zip Code, another in Green Sea, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control reported Thursday.
With the latest report Horry County has recorded 333 people testing positive for the disease since the pandemic began.
Zip Code data shows 54 cases from the Loris area, 12 more than Wednesday, and four from Green Sea, an increase of one.
Statewide there have been 9,379 positive tests returned for COVID-19 in South Carolina, up by 199 from Tuesday; with 416 related deaths, that number up by nine from Tuesday.
Columbus reports seven new COVID cases
Seven newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 brings the Columbus County total to 285, the county health department reported Thursday.
“Three of the new cases are connected to positive family members, one case is work-related, one case is connected to a known positive case, and two cases are still under investigation,” the news release said.
Recovery numbers continue to climb, the health department reported, 74 so far, 32 more than the 42 reported a week ago.
There have been 21 COVID-19 related deaths in Columbus County.
By Zip Code: Fair Bluff’s Zip Code recorded eight new people confirmed with COVID-19, that total now 18 the DHHS dashboard showed Thursday. Five new case confirmations in Whiteville brought that total to 74, Chadbourn also up by five to 51, Cerro Gordo at 14 with three new confirmations.
Tabor City’s Zip Code showed 74 people confirmed with the coronavirus, that up by two from Wednesday.
Precautions: “With the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continuing to rise in Columbus County, we are asking the public to take the necessary measures to stop the transmission of COVID-19,” the news release said. “The Columbus County Health Department would like to remind everyone of the recommended measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which are:
- Social distancing (e.g. avoiding crowds, self-quarantining, no mass gatherings, only going out in public when necessary)
- Wearing a mask or face covering when in public places
- Washing hands frequently with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds each time
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw it away, and then wash your hands
- Do not reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
NC TOTALS: Statewide there are 20,910 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 100 North Carolina counties Thursday, up by 788 from Wednesday, the DHHS reported. There were 716 North Carolina deaths attributed to COVID-19 Thursday, 14 more than Tuesday; with 578 current hospitalizations, that number up by 24 from the day before.
CC Health Updates: Regularly updated information from the Columbus County Health Department is available on its Facebook page here.
Columbus County Health Department’s COVID-19 Call Center is also operating from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Call 910-640-6615 ext. 7045 or 7046.
Horry museum, Living History Farm to reopen
Normal business hours resume Tuesday at the Horry County Museum and the L.W. Paul Living History Farm, with new public health safety measures in place.
“Following guidance from Governor McMaster and state agencies, Horry County will allow public access to its buildings with best safety practices being implemented,” a news release from county government said.
Safety practices include:
- Everyone in high-traffic public areas will be required to wear masks while inside facilities. This includes lobbies, waiting areas, customer service counters, etc. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own mask and wear it prior to entering the facilities.
- Occupancy limits will be set in public areas of offices and lobbies.
- Additional hand sanitizing stations will be stationed in public areas.
- Enhanced cleaning operations will continue.
To discourage large gatherings of patrons, the Museum and Farm are temporarily suspending their regular weekly and monthly programs. Members of the public are encouraged to follow the museum and farm on Facebook and Instagram, and to visit here for updates on special programming.
Free and open to the public, both the museum and farm open at 9 a.m. each Tuesday through Saturday, the museum closing at 5 p.m., the farm an hour earlier at 4 p.m.
For details contact the museum at 843-915-5320 or hcgmuseum@horrycounty.org.
Updates
Look for continuing coverage on local impacts from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak here and in the Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.
