COVID takes ten more lives at Loris Rehab, Horry records a death as cases climb, in Columbus, too

Loris Rehab and Nursing Center
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
COVID-19 continued to take a heavy toll at Loris Rehab and Nursing Center in the past week, where ten residents died, residents and staff members were newly diagnosed with the coronavirus.
A 27th COVID death was reported in Horry County Tuesday, with 18 new cases as five new case confirmations in Columbus County pushed the total infected in this pandemic to 343.
This post will cover these topics and may be updated:
- Ten more deaths, ten new COVID infections at Loris Rehab
- A 27th coronavirus death in Horry, 18 new cases
- Five new COVID cases, Columbus total 343
Ten more deaths, ten new COVID infections at Loris Rehab
Ten residents of Loris Rehab and Nursing Center have died of COVID-19 complications in the past week, 9 more residents and two staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus during that time, state Department of Health and Environmental Control data showed Tuesday.
That toll has risen rapidly at the Wilson Senior Care owned facility since early May when two residents tested positive for the disease, DHEC data showed.
By last Tuesday seven residents had died of COVID complications, 41 residents and three staff members had tested positive for the disease.
DHEC reports nursing home and assisted living case details on Tuesdays and Fridays. Last Friday the DHEC data showed Loris Rehab with 15 resident deaths from COVID-19, 41 residents and four staff members infected.
Two more deaths and seven more cases recorded Tuesday brought the total to 17 resident deaths, 47 residents and five staff members confirmed with the coronavirus.
Formerly Loris Extended Care Center and originally opened by Loris Community Hospital in 1963, Darlington based Wilson Senior Care purchased the 88 bed skilled nursing facility in fall 2014 from McLeod Health, the umbrella organization under which McLeod Loris Seacoast operates.
A 27th coronavirus death in Horry, 18 new cases
COVID-19 has claimed another Horry County resident, the 27th since the pandemic began, with 18 additional people confirmed as infected by the coronavirus, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control reported Tuesday.
An elderly individual from Horry was South Carolina’s only reported COVID death on Tuesday.
Horry County’s total number of residents confirmed infected with COVID-19 rose to 472 Tuesday, with four of the 18 newly confirmed cases in the Loris Zip Code, bringing that total to 99; the Green Sea area total unchanged at eight.
Statewide there have been 12,415 positive tests returned for COVID-19 in South Carolina, up by 267 from Monday; with 501 related deaths.
Five new COVID cases, Columbus total 343
Another five Columbus County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 343 since the pandemic began, the county health department reported Tuesday.
“Two of the new cases are contacts of a known positive case, one of the cases is connected to a positive family member, one case is still under investigation, and the source of infection could not be found for one case,” a Columbus County Health Department news release said.
A total of 27 county residents have died from COVID-19 complications, the most recent on Monday.
By Zip Code: Fair Bluff recorded its second COVID-19 related death Tuesday, the number of people confirmed there with the coronavirus holding at 20, NC Department of Health and Human Services data showed.
Data reported by the county does not always appear on the DHHS dashboard the same day.
Whiteville and Evergreen Zip Codes each recorded an additional laboratory confirmed case, their totals now 88 and seven respectively.
NC Totals: Statewide there are 29,889 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 100 North Carolina counties Tuesday, up by 626 from Monday, the DHHS reported.
There were 921 North Carolina deaths attributed to COVID-19 Tuesday, 23 more than Monday; with 716 current hospitalizations, that number up by 66 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.
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.