COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 22

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.

More than 1,800 new COVID cases reported

At least 670,492 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 10,277 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,852 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 505 fewer cases than reported the day before. The state also confirmed 93 coronavirus-related deaths, data show.

At least 2,381 people in the state were reported hospitalized with the COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 585 patients being treated in intensive care units and 391 on ventilators.

As of Tuesday, 13% 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 over 59% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.

Most Lexington parents in favor of mask rules, survey says

More than two-thirds of parents in the Lexington 1 school district said they would support a mask mandate to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools, The State reported, citing the results of a district-wide survey.

The questionnaire, which went out last week, asked parents and staff members their feelings on requiring face masks in school during times of “high community spread.”

“For months, we have heard from a small and vocal group of parents and staff on both sides of the mask debate,” school board chair Anne Marie Green wrote in an email to parents this week. “We wanted to know how our entire community truly felt about masking.”

A controversial provision passed by the state Legislature earlier this year bars local districts from imposing mask rules on students, despite surging COVID cases. Gov. Henry McMaster has also voiced opposition to requiring masks in schools, saying they impede students’ learning.

The Lexington 1 school board is scheduled to vote on the proposal Tuesday.

Read the full story here.

Myrtle Beach hospital ‘stands ready’ to vaccinate younger kids

After Pfizer-BioNTech’s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine is effective in children ages 5-11, some Myrtle Beach area hospitals are already preparing for the roll out, according to The Sun News.

A spokesperson for Conway Medical Center said the hospital “stands ready” to inoculate younger children as soon as it gets the go ahead. Pfizer must still go through the emergency use authorization process via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before vaccine providers can begin administering the shots.

Officials at Grand Strand Medical Center are also awaiting additional guidance, while McLeod Health is holding off on moving forward with a plan until the shot is approved for emergency use.

Rock Hill pharmacy awarded to aiding in state vaccination effort

A family-owned pharmacy in Rock Hill that helped administer more than 16,000 COVID-19 vaccines received a special shoutout from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Rock Hill Herald reported.

The agency recognized Good Pharmacy as a “community hero” for its effort to get residents vaccinated as coronavirus cases surge across the state. It’s the second Rock Hill-area pharmacy to be cheered by DHEC for aiding in the state’s vaccine push.

The pharmacy began giving the two-shot Moderna vaccine back in January.

“Some of our long-term customers actually volunteered to come in and help us with some of the paperwork,” Alton Hyatt, part owner of the pharmacy, told the Rock Hill Herald. “My sister and I could not have done this without the staff and the volunteers. We are committed to getting everyone vaccinated.”

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.”

Read the full story here.