Young adult among 8 new Horry COVID deaths; free testing coming to Columbus

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     A single day with no COVID-19 related deaths reported for Horry County was upended by Tuesday’s state data showing eight confirmed deaths, including a young adult, and another two deaths likely related to the coronavirus.

     State data showed Columbus County with five new COVID deaths Tuesday, as free coronavirus testing clinics were scheduled for the county.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

• Young adult among 8 new COVID deaths in Horry
• Free coronavirus testing set in Columbus; 5 new cases

Young adult among 8 new COVID deaths in Horry

     It’s highest single day COVID-19 death county recently was recorded in Horry County Tuesday, data from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control showed.

     Eight confirmed deaths included a young adult in the 18 to 34 year age group, a middle aged person from 35 to 64 years, and six elderly individuals, 65 and older. Another two “probable” COVID deaths for the county involved elderly people.

     Those confirmed deaths brought to 136 the pandemic total of lives lost to the coronavirus, DHEC reported.

     Another 59 Horry residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the DHEC data showed, bringing the pandemic total to 8,206.

     Three of the new cases were recorded in the Loris Zip Code, bringing that total to 491, the Green Sea area holding at 35 confirmed cases.

     Statewide South Carolina reported 1,168 new COVID cases Tuesday, and 52 new deaths, the pandemic totals now 93,604 and 1,774 respectively.

Free coronavirus testing set in Columbus; 5 new cases

     A series of 38 community COVID-19 testing events across North Carolina in the coming days include four in Columbus County, an NC Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) news release said.

     That news preceded a relatively positive day in the course of the pandemic for Columbus County, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data showing five new confirmed cases and no new deaths.

     Pandemic totals for the county stand at 838 cases and 46 deaths, the DHHS data showed.

     One of the newly confirmed cases appeared to be in the Tabor City area, three around Whiteville, and one in the Bolton area, Zip Code data showed.

     That data shows Tabor City just behind Whiteville in the number of COVID cases/deaths, those totals 205/12 for Tabor City, 236/13 for Whiteville.

     Only Chadbourn has crossed 100 cases, showing 105 cases with 6 deaths; Hallsboro next with 85 cases and 6 deaths.

     North Carolina reported 1,629 new COVID infections and 28 new related deaths Tuesday, the pandemic total now 128,161 cases, 2,010 deaths.

     After falling for four days in a row, COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 109 in North Carolina, the total Tuesday  1,166.

     Free testing: Community testing events are part of an initiative to increase access to free COVID-19 testing for African American, LatinX/Hispanic and American Indian communities that currently have limited testing sites, the DHHS said.

     Orig3n, Inc. will host events in Fair Bluff, Bolton and Brunswick, with NCCHA-CommonWell Health to host the fourth in Riegelwood.

     Scheduled tests are:

• Fair Bluff, Town Hall, 8: 30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7
• Bolton, Buckhead Fire Department, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7
• Brunswick, Town Hall, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11
• Riegelwood, Community Park, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Aug. 13

     So far, more than 180 testing events have been coordinated through this initiative, which is being extended into August. There is no cost to people getting tested. Insurance, if available, will be billed but there are no co-pays or cost-sharing for anyone seeking testing.

     Those who are uninsured are also tested at no cost.

     People who may not currently have symptoms but may have been exposed to COVID-19 should get tested, especially people from historically marginalized communities, including Latinx/Hispanic, Black/African American, and American Indian populations.

     A disproportionately high percentage of North Carolina’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred among historically marginalized populations, and mounting evidence shows the members of these populations experience higher rates of COVID-19 mortality and serious complications, the DHHS said in a news release.

     Testing is also a priority for anyone who has symptoms or those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, including:

• Anyone who has attended a mass gathering including a protest.
• Anyone who works in a setting at higher risk of exposure such as a grocery store, restaurant, gas station, or childcare program.
• People who live or work in high-risk settings such as long-term facilities, homeless shelters, correctional facilities or food processing facility.

     North Carolinians can find testing sites available in their community through visiting Find My Testing Place and Community Testing Events on the NCDHHS website here.

     Check the Community Testing Events page daily for more events provided by NCDHHS in partnership with Vidant Health, Orig3n, Inc and the North Carolina Community Health Center Association.

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.