COVID vaccine clinic at CRHS this week, as visitation restrictions ease; more virus deaths, cases in Columbus, Horry

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     Another COVID-19 vaccination clinic for those 65 and older is this week at Columbus Regional Healthcare in Whiteville, with the appointment window opening at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

     Meanwhile, visitation restrictions are being eased slightly at the system’s flagship hospital and more coronavirus related deaths and infections are reported in Columbus and Horry counties.

     This post will cover these topics and may be updated:

• Make appointments Wednesday for next CHRS vaccine clinic
• Columbus Regional relaxes visitation restrictions
• Three new COVID deaths in CC, 82 infections in four days
• Horry: Sixteen more lost to virus, 519 new cases since Thurs.

Make appointments Wednesday for next CHRS vaccine clinic

     Another COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinics for people 65 and older and healthcare workers will be held at Columbus Regional Healthcare in Whiteville this Thursday and Friday, with appointments taken by phone beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

     Appointments may be made by calling 910-642-1554. Additional phone lines will be added to receive calls, and the appointment hotline will not be open until 9 a.m. Wednesday. It will close at 5 p.m., or when all of the vaccine appointments have been filled, which will likely come first. Once all appointments have been filled for the amount of vaccine available, a recorded message on the hotline will advise callers that no further appointments are available, for now.

     Clinic hours will be from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

     When new vaccine supplies are provided from the state, the hotline will re-open and new clinics will be scheduled.

     Updated information may be found at the CRHS website, crhealthcare.org, or at the Columbus Regional Healthcare Facebook page.

     “We ask the community to not call the hospital’s main number or the Emergency Department,” a CRHS news release said. “No one in these areas will be able to make a vaccine appointment.

     “We enjoy helping vaccinate our community and bringing us all one step closer to ending the COVID- 19 pandemic.”

Columbus Regional relaxes visitation restrictions

     Some visitation restrictions have been relaxed at Columbus Regional Healthcare System’s flagship hospital in Whiteville, effective today (Monday).

     “Columbus Regional is constantly reviewing its policies to adapt to the latest changes of the COVID- 19 pandemic,” a news release said. “Part of that process includes reviewing the visitation policy.

     “For many, having someone with them as they seek medical care can be helpful in decision making, while also providing support and understanding while receiving care.”

     One visitor per patient is now allowed to visit admitted patients at CRHS, with some exceptions. Visitors are required to receive a COVID0-19 screening upon arrive, must wear a mask during their entire stay, and must not visit if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath.

     “Visitation Restrictions for the CRHS Emergency Department and COVID-19 patients remain unchanged,” the news release said.

     Saying that patient safety is its top priority, the CRHS statement said that is extended to “their loved ones and CRHS teammates.

     “CRHS has put extensive cleaning and disinfecting protocols in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients, visitors, and teammates. Do not ignore your healthcare needs, seek care when you need it. At Columbus Regional, care is COVID-Safe.”

Three new COVID deaths in CC, 82 infections in four days

     Three more Columbus County residents have been claimed by COVID-19 since Thursday, another 82 testing positive for the virus, data from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services showed Thursday.

     Zip Code data showed two of those deaths involved residents of the Whiteville area, the DHHS report from Friday showed. That data has not indicated the area involved in the third COVID death, which was indicated on the state dashboard Monday.

     Most of the newly confirmed coronavirus cases, 35, have come from the Whiteville Zip Code, 15 more from Tabor City, 14 from Hallsboro, ten from Chadbourn, other areas of the county reporting single digit new cases with none from Fair Bluff and Evergreen since Thursday.

     Columbus County, the DHHS data shows, has recorded 5,406 COVID-19 associated infections and 127 associated deaths to date during the pandemic.

     Some pandemic case/death totals include: Whiteville, 1,666/46; Tabor City, 1,388/31; Chadbourn, 615/17; Hallsboro, 360/7; Riegelwood, 317/3; Clarendon, 203/3; Cerro Gordo, 174/2; Nakina, 162/2; and Fair Bluff, 108/5.

     North Carolina reported 3,084 new COVID infections Monday and 8 associated deaths, bringing those pandemic totals to 799,279 and 9,991 respectively.

     Statewide 2,339 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus Monday, that number down by 39 from Wednesday. Hospitalizations have declined every day since Jan. 26.

Horry: Sixteen more lost to virus, 519 new cases since Thurs.

     COVID-19 has claimed 16 Horry County residents since Thursday, with another 519 confirmed as infected by the virus, data from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control shows.

     Two of those who have died of COVID-19 associated illness in Horry since Thursday were defined as middle aged, the other 14 elderly. Dates of death, some with more than one who died, were Dec. 15, 2020; Jan. 3, 23, 28, 30; Feb. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.

     Of the newly confirmed cases, 31 were reported from the Loris Zip Code, 7 from Green Sea.

     A total of 382 Horry residents have died of COVID-19 associated illness during the pandemic, 24,821 county residents infected including 1,576 from the Loris Zip Code, 205 from Green Sea.

     South Carolina has recorded 414,573 COVID cases during the pandemic, 6,881 deaths, those numbers up by 1,510 and 34 respectively Sunday.

     Statewide 1,517 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus Monday, that number down by 9 since 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.