COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 20
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 2,300 new COVID cases reported
At least 668,596 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 10,181 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 2,357 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 17 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, data show.
At least 2,414 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Monday, including 585 patients being treated in intensive care units and 434 on ventilators.
As of Monday, 10.5% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Nearly 51% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated, and about 59% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Coronavirus surge in schools leave nurses feeling ‘overwhelmed,’ ‘unsafe’
Some South Carolina school nurses say they’re overwhelmed as COVID-19 cases continue rising in schools across the state.
Elizabeth Clark, the only full-time nurse at Gilbert High School in Lexington County, recalled days she felt unsafe and unable to provide the level of care she normally does, according to The State. The Lexington 1 School District kicked off the new school year in late August and has already reported some of the highest incidence rates of COVID in the Midlands region.
“Two weeks before school, we get health cards on all our students,” Clark told the newspaper. “I have 1,100 students, and I try to read through every single one by the first couple weeks of school. We just started on those this week. I try to orient myself to my students, but ... COVID is so huge and in our face, it’s almost the only thing you can see.”
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