COVID-19 outbreaks in CC prisons; cases up in Horry
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
COVID-19 infections are surging in state prisons located in Columbus County, as new coronavirus cases continue to climb across the state line in Horry.
This post will cover these topics and may be updated:
- TCI active COVID cases nearly triple
- Coronavirus infections climb in Horry
TCI active COVID cases nearly triple
A surge in COVID-19 cases inside the state prisons in Columbus County appears to be fueling a sharp rise in active cases in the county late this week, state data indicates.
Columbus county’s daily average of newly confirmed coronavirus cases, averaging about ten in recent weeks, has averaged three times that since Thursday, with 62 confirmed cases in that time frame, daily data from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services shows.
Zip Code data from DHHS shows 44 of those new cases in the Tabor City area, which includes Tabor Correctional Institution where active cases have climbed by 40 since Tuesday, state Department of Public Safety data shows. A total of 46 TCI inmates have tested positive for the virus since Tuesday, the DPS data shows. A total of 101 TCI inmates have contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Cases are also up at Columbus Correctional Institution near Brunswick, with 13 inmates testing positive since Tuesday and 11 cases considered active. A total of 54 CCI inmates have contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic.
No inmates at TCI or CCI have died of COVID associated complications, the DPS data shows.
A total of 62 Columbus County lives have been claimed by the coronavirus, with 1,776 residents testing positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Zip Code data showed 44 new COVID infections in the Tabor City area since Thursday, bringing the pandemic total to 392 cases and 19 deaths.
North Carolina recorded 2,805 new COVID infections Saturday, and 46 related deaths, bringing those pandemic totals to 274,635 and 4,378 respectively. Statewide 1,184 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, that number down by 12 from Friday.
Coronavirus infections climb in Horry
Another 60 Horry County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday, state Department of Health and Environmental Control data shows, with a single new death confirmed Friday.
That death involved an elderly person, the DHEC data said, bringing the pandemic toll of Horry lives to 207. Since March 11,635 county residents have been infected with the coronavirus, the DHEC data showed.
Four of the COVID cases reported since Thursday were in the Loris Zip Code, none in the Green Sea area. That brings those totals to 680 cases for Loris, 61 in Green Sea.
South Carolina has recorded 167,885 COVID cases during the pandemic, 3,686 deaths, those numbers up by 831 and 33 respectively since Friday.
Statewide 789 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus Saturday, that number up by 12 from Friday.
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.
