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COVID trends down in Horry, up in Columbus

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     Another two COVID-19 related deaths and 29 more confirmed infections reported for Columbus County Monday contrasted with better trend in both categories for Horry, state and local agency reports indicated.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

  • COVID claims two more Columbus lives, infects 29 more
  • Coronavirus deaths, case counts falling in Horry

COVID claims two more Columbus lives, infects 29 more

     After leveling somewhat in July, the toll of COVID-19 in Columbus County appears to be rising, troubling Health Director Kim Smith.

     “For a time the trends were looking better, not so much right now,” Smith said.

     Two more county residents died of coronavirus complications since the health department’s last pandemic update on Thursday, one person claimed Friday, another Monday, both while hospitalized, a health department news release said. That brings the pandemic total of COVID deaths in the county to 50.

     Another 29 county residents have been infected by the virus, the news release said.

     “One of Columbus County’s current active cases has been reassigned to another county due to residency guidelines – this brings our current total number of COVID-19 cases to 987,” the news release said. “There were fourteen new cases on August 14, three new cases on August 15, no cases on August 16 and twelve cases on August 17.”

     Four county residents remain hospitalized due to COVID-19.

     Zip Code data from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, which often lags behind that of the county, showed no new cases or deaths Monday.

     North Carolina reported 564 new COVID infections and a single related death Monday, the pandemic total now 145,516 and 2,348 respectively.

     Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were up by 46 Monday, the total now 980.

COVID deaths, case counts falling in Horry

     A second consecutive day without a new COVID-19 related death in Horry comes with the lowest number of newly confirmed coronavirus infections among county residents in more than two months, data from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control showed Monday.

     COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 162 Horry residents since the pandemic began, that number steady since Saturday, the DHEC data showed. There were 40 coronavirus related deaths in the county for two consecutive days ending on June 27, and typically multiple daily deaths since then.

     An increase of 24 newly confirmed COVID cases in the county indicated in Monday’s DHEC data was the lowest since 27 cases were reported on June 4. Within days the daily case count exploded into triple digits, that trend declining only in the past two weeks.

     Zip Code data showed two of the newly confirmed cases Monday in the Loris area, that number now 517.

     Statewide South Carolina reported 451 new COVID cases and 20 new deaths Monday, the pandemic totals now 105,905 and 2,185 respectively.

     There were 1,101 COVID patients being treated in South Carolina hospitals Monday, that number down by 60 from Sunday.

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.