COVID cases climb in Columbus, Horry, top 100 in Loris area

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     As COVID-19 cases to climb in both Horry and Columbus counties, the number of infected people in the Loris Zip Code has passed 100, state health officials reported Wednesday.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

• COVID cases up by 17 in Horry, top 100 in Loris area
• Six new coronavirus cases in Columbus

COVID cases up by 17 in Horry, top 100 in Loris area

     Another 17 Horry County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, three in the Loris area, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control reported Wednesday.

     A total of 27 residents have died of coronavirus complications, the most recent reported Tuesday.

     Horry County’s total number of residents confirmed infected with COVID-19 rose to 489 Wednesday, with three of the newly confirmed cases in the Loris Zip Code, bringing that total to 102; the Green Sea area total unchanged at eight.

     Statewide there have been 12,651 positive tests returned for COVID-19 in South Carolina, up by 235 from Tuesday; with 518 related deaths, up by 17 from Tuesday.

     Limit the spread: South Carolina is continuing to reopen parts of the economy shuttered by the pandemic since March, and as business gets back to normal state health officials “urge everyone to be vigilant in practicing social distancing and wearing masks to prevent the further spread of COVID-19,” a DHEC news release said.

     Public health experts are concerned over the recent rise in COVID-19 data trends in the state, the news release said.

     “The more people you expose yourself to, the more you multiply your risk of being exposed to the virus,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell. “There are those who are finding ways to hold graduations and open businesses safely through careful planning and attention to crowd density and safety measures such as wearing masks.

     “When we don’t do those things, we can put ourselves and others at risk, and case counts will rise.”

     Part of the increase in case numbers is because testing across South Carolina has increased, health leaders said. Still, there is “significant risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus in a public setting in any community.”

     Precautions encouraged by DHEC include:

• Maintain social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others
• Wear a cloth mask that covers your nose and mouth while in public
• Avoid touching frequently touched items
• Regularly wash your hands
• Monitor for symptoms and stay home when sick
• The more that South Carolinians take these necessary steps every day to reduce exposures, the more we can expect to see data trends begin to decrease, telling us that COVID-19 transmission is slowing across the state.

Six new coronavirus cases in Columbus

     Another six Columbus County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 349 since the pandemic began, the county health department reported Wednesday.

     Sources for all six new cases remain under investigation, the health department reported.

     A total of 27 county residents have died from COVID-19 complications, the most recent on Monday.

    By Zip Code: Tabor City recorded one individual newly confirmed with COVID-19, the DHHS dashboard showed Wednesday, bringing the total to 86 confirmed cases with ten deaths in the area.

     Data for other Zip Code in Columbus County was unchanged from Tuesday.

     NC Totals: Statewide there are 30,777 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 100 North Carolina counties Wednesday, up by 888 from Tuesday, the DHHS reported.

     There were 939 North Carolina deaths attributed to COVID-19 Wednesday, 18 more than Tuesday; with 684 current hospitalizations, that number down by 32 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.