COVID-19 claims three in Liberty Commons as an outbreak hits Oaks of Loris

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     COVID-19 has been brutal to nursing home and assisted living facilities across the country since last winter, and has claimed three more lives during an outbreak in Whiteville with another outbreak underway in Loris.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

• COVID claims three at Liberty Commons
• Horry outbreaks include Oaks of Loris

COVID claims three at Liberty Commons

     COVID-19 has claimed the lives of three residents at Liberty Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Whiteville in recent days, new data posted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday shows.

     An outbreak there began late last month, the DHHS data shows, with no deaths indicated until Tuesday’s post.

     Cases have been climbing at Liberty Commons steadily since Dec. 1, when DHHS data showed 14 staff members and 15 residents and confirmed infected by COVID-19. Those numbers rose to 22 staff members, 25 residents in the Dec. 8 report, new infections bringing the resident total to 29 by Friday.

     In addition to listing three resident deaths, the DHHS data Tuesday showed 25 staff members testing positive for the virus, 34 residents.

     None of the newly reported deaths were indicated in other data from DHHS, including Zip Code and county totals that have held at a pandemic total of 74 since Dec. 5.

     Columbus County Health Department, however, reported two new COVID-19 associated deaths on Monday, taking place on Dec. 10 and 11 while both were in hospitals. That health department report showed the current pandemic death toll for Columbus County as 76, which could mean a new total of 77 given the three deaths assigned to Liberty Commons.

     Efforts to contact a Liberty Commons representative for this story were not successful.

     DHHS data on Tuesday showed 10 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases for Columbus County since Monday, bringing the pandemic total to 3,061.

     Zip Code data showed a single new case in Tabor City, six in Whiteville. Some pandemic total case/death totals include Tabor City, 959/22; Whiteville, 909/19; Chadbourn, 310/8; and Clarendon, 98/2.

     NC Department of Public Safety data shows an outbreak growing at Columbus Correctional Institution, in the Whiteville Zip Code, with four newly confirmed cases shown Tuesday. That brings the pandemic case total for CCI to 101, with 20 cases currently active.

     At Tabor Correctional an outbreak continues to appear under control, with a pandemic total of 562 cases and only 4 currently active holding since Dec. 9.

     Free testing: Free drive-through COVID-19 rapid tests will be given again at the Columbus County Health Department in Whiteville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Friday.

     Appointments are required, and may be made by calling 910-640-6615 extension 7006 or 7007.

     North Carolina reported 5,236 new COVID infections Tuesday, and 26 associated deaths, bringing those pandemic totals to 446,601 and 5,881 respectively.

     Statewide 2,735 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus Tuesday, up by 182 from the day before.

Horry outbreaks include Oaks of Loris

     A small COVID-19 outbreak at Oaks of Loris, an assisted living facility, was reflected in SC Department of Health and Environmental Control data this week.

     Four residents of the facility have tested positive for the coronavirus, the DHEC data shows. There are no current staff cases, and there have been no associated deaths at the facility.

     Meanwhile, a string of days with more than 100 newly confirmed COVID cases for Horry County that began Dec. 2 continued Tuesday with 136 cases bringing the county pandemic total to 15,539, the DHEC data showed.

     Zip Code data showed 15 of those newly reported cases in the Loris area, the pandemic total there now 876. Green Sea’s total held for the second day at 100.

     There were no new COVID-19 associated deaths for the county reported Tuesday, that pandemic total at 240 since Saturday.

     South Carolina has recorded 239,119 COVID cases during the pandemic, 4,402 deaths, those numbers up by 2,303 and 4 respectively since Monday.

     Statewide 1,046 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus Tuesday, that number down by 230 from Monday.

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.