Columbus Schools will bring fourth & fifth graders on campus early; new COVID case totals released

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     Columbus County School leaders are confident enough in how the new school year is going to bring fourth and fifth graders back on campus next week, earlier than initially planned.

     That decisions as newly confirmed COVID-19 infections may be declining.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

• Columbus Schools will bring fourth & fifth graders on campus early
• COVID case report shows 28 infections in CC since Thurs.
• Another low day for coronavirus cases in Horry

Columbus Schools will bring fourth & fifth graders on campus early

     On-campus learning for fourth and fifth graders in the Columbus County Schools begins Monday, two weeks ahead of the previously announced schedule, district spokesman Kelly Jones said in an email Monday.

     “After careful consideration and planning, Columbus County Schools has determined that we are prepared to bring back students in grades 4th and 5th starting Monday, August 31st for in-person, daily instruction for those that have requested it,” the email said.

     Students whose parents requested all virtual learning for at least the first nine weeks of the new school year will remain at home, Jones said.

     Schools impacted by the decision will be posting further instructions, Jones said.

     “This decision was made after evaluating the ability to meet safety guidelines with additional students, as well as the ability to meet the educational needs of in-person students,” Jones said. “We also recognize the difficulty for some parents to find childcare during the school day.”

     Students in grades PreK through third grade, whose parents did not seek the virtual option, began the new school year back on campus last Monday, Aug. 17.

     School leaders had planned to return students in the upper grades, through high school, to campus on Sept. 14. Current plans are for students in grades 6 through 12, who are not under the virtual option, to return to campus on Sept. 14, Associate Supt. Dr. Jonathan Williams said Monday.

COVID case report shows 28 infections in CC since Thurs.

     Another 28 Columbus County residents confirmed as infected with COVID-19 since Thursday brings the county pandemic total to 1,052, the Columbus County Health Department reported in the first of two scheduled weekly pandemic reports Monday.

     Two additional cases were confirmed after last week’s second report was released, fifteen on Aug. 21, one Aug. 22, four Aug. 23, and six so far today (Monday, Aug. 24), the health departed reported.

     There were no new COVID related deaths in Monday’s news release, the pandemic total for Columbus County at 50.

     Zip Code data posted daily on the state Department of Health and Human Resources website showed Whiteville with a single new case, Riegelwood with four.

     North Carolina reported 1,283 new COVID infections and 4 related deaths from Monday, the pandemic total now 156,396 and 2,535 respectively.

     Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were up by 50 from Sunday, the total now 948.

Another low day for coronavirus cases in Horry

     A second consecutive day with fewer than 20 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Horry County and no new related deaths was shown in Monday’s state Department of Health and Environmental Control data posting.

     With 16 newly confirmed cases Monday, 15 recorded Sunday, the county’s pandemic total of confirmed coronavirus infections is 9,053, the DHEC data showed.

     Two of the newly confirmed COVID cases were in the Loris Zip Code, one in the Green Sea area. That brings the pandemic total of confirmed coronavirus cases for the Loris area to 530, 36 in Green Sea.

     Statewide South Carolina reported 543 new COVID cases and 7 new deaths Monday, the pandemic totals now 111,202 and 2,387 respectively.

     There were 979 COVID patients being treated in South Carolina hospitals Monday, that number down by 47 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.