SC Hospitals Warn of Looming Crisis
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COVID-19 in SC Swearinger criticizes Cases statewide: 1,964 new, 65,857 total Cases in the Lakelands Gruden, Washington Greenwood - 942 Saluda - 321 McCormick - 71 Abbeville - 175 Laurens - 883 in Instagram post Deaths statewide: 25 new, 1,078 total Deaths in the Lakelands Page 1B Greenwood - 10 Saluda - 2 McCormick - 2 Abbeville - 1 Laurens - 14 VOL. 102, NO. 122 indexjournal.com 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020 DAILY $1, WEDNESDAY | SUNDAY $2 SC hospitals warn of looming crisis By JEFFREY COLLINS ly increasing number of hospitalized end the six-week spike in cases in because of the virus. “This news shows that South Car- Associated Press COVID-19 patients combined with South Carolina. It is still a steep increase from the olina is leading the way in our eco- nurses and other staff infected during Similar warnings have come from March level of 3.2% before the pan- nomic recovery efforts and that we COLUMBIA — By reopening their off-hours in community hot hospitals in Myrtle Beach, Orange- demic began. can, and will, overcome any challenge South Carolina after this spring’s spots leaves them — at most — weeks burg and Charleston. South Carolina added more than by working together, being smart, and COVID-19 shutdown, more than from a crisis. The unemployment rate was good 105,000 jobs with about 40% of them showing compassion for our neigh- 100,000 people went back to work in “Since Memorial Day we’ve estab- news amid an avalanche of ugly coming from hotels, restaurants and bors,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a June, according to unemployment fig- lished business as usual. We cannot numbers recently in South Carolina’s hospitality as well as professional ser- statement. ures released Friday. do that,” said Dr. Wendell James, a COVID-19 fight. The June jobless rate vices like barbers or other occupations Reopening businesses was a prior- But also on Friday, doctors in Greenville hospital executive who in the state is 8.7%, well down from that need a license. Both sectors were ity of the Republican governor, who Greenville joined hospital officials in again said simple steps like wearing the 12.4% rate in May that marked the hit hard by the government-mandat- says over and over he will not shut the rest of the state in warning a rapid- masks whenever outside a home can peak of the shutdown of businesses ed COVID-19 shutdowns. See CRISIS, page 5A D50 granted extension to COVID concerns review school reopening plan By JONATHAN LIMEHOUSE [email protected] Greenwood County School District 50 will have another week to review its school reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year. The district remained in constant com- munication with the state Department of Education and state legislators since Gov. Henry McMaster made his announce- ment Wednesday morning during a press conference, the district’s release said. The announcement mandated that all school districts send a school reopening plan that provided parents an option to send their child to school five days a week for face-to- face instruction, or participate in a virtual option, to state Superintendent of Educa- tion Molly Spearman by Friday. Based on new information the district received Friday morning from Columbia, it has asked and been granted an extension to review its school reopening plans. The ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS district’s final reopening plans is due July Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, science teachers Ann Darby, left, and Rosa Herrera check in students before a summer STEM camp 24 to the state Department of Education. at Wylie High School in Wylie, Texas. “Unfortunately, we realize that this situ- ation has been frustrating for our students, parents and teachers in regards to changes made to our plans,” Superintendent Steve Millions of kids told full return to school in fall unlikely Glenn said in the release. “Please under- stand that this process is fluid due to the By FREIDA FRISARO for the third straight day Thursday nature of the pandemic crisis. We are try- AND DAVID CRARY and 129 additional deaths. Cali- ing to make the best decisions possible for Associated Press fornia reported its largest two-day our students and staff with the landscape total of confirmed cases, nearly changing sometimes on a day-to-day, FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — 20,000, along with 258 deaths over hour-to-hour and minute-to-minute ba- Millions more children in the U.S. 48 hours. sis.” learned Friday that they’re unlikely There were signs across the Sun- In light of the new changes, the district to return to classrooms full time in belt that the virus was stretching au- the fall because of the coronavirus thorities’ capacity to respond. The said it will need to make adjustments to pandemic, as officials laid out new medical examiner’s office in metro its information and surveys posted on details of what lies ahead after sum- Phoenix has gotten portable storage its website and social media pages. As of mer vacation. coolers and ordered more to handle right now, the district has removed the in- The announcements came as an influx of bodies — reminiscent formation and surveys until changes have many states —particularly in the of New York City at the height of the been made. The district advises parents, Sunbelt — struggled to cope with a pandemic there. students and stakeholders to check its surge in the number of COVID-19 A waitress seats customers at a restaurant with outdoor dining on a In Houston, an 86-person Army website and social media pages for official cases. Teams of military medics section of street closed to traffic to promote social distancing Friday medical team worked to take over a announcements on its finalized plans. were deployed in Texas and Cali- in Somerville, Mass. wing of United Memorial Medical “As always, new information will be fornia to help hospitals deluged by Center. In California, military doc- communicated to you as soon as we re- coronavirus patients, and Miami instruction for up to the first eight school districts and require stu- tors, nurses and other health care ceive it,” Glenn said. “These challenges area authorities began stepping up weeks of the school year, potentially dents to spend at least half of their specialists were being deployed to and obstacles are making us stronger as enforcement of a mask require- pushing a return to campus in some schooling in classrooms. Her proc- eight hospitals facing staffing short- a school district and community. We ap- ment. cities until November. lamation drew immediate criticism ages amid a record-breaking case preciate everyone’s continued patience, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Most Chicago children would from the state teachers union. numbers. support and willingness to make necessary laid out strict criteria for school re- return to the classroom just two Several states have been reporting In Florida, Miami-Dade Coun- adjustments during this time. openings that makes classroom in- days a week and spend the other record numbers of COVID-19 this ty’s commission gave code and fire The district did re-release a school re- struction unlikely for most districts. three days learning remotely under week, contributing to a surge in the inspectors authority to issue tickets opening plan that accommodated McMas- The rules mandate that students a tentative plan outlined by offi- national death rate. The seven-day of up to $100 for individuals and ter’s request for five days of face-to-face in- above second grade and all staff cials from the nation’s third-largest rolling average for daily new deaths $500 for businesses not complying struction Thursday evening, but the link to wear masks in school. school district. A final decision for has risen 34% from two weeks ago, with guidelines to wear masks and that plan has since been removed. Texas gave public schools permis- fall classes for the district’s more while the case count in that period practice social distancing. Police of- sion to keep their facilities closed for than 300,000 students won’t come shot up 43%. ficers already had this enforcement Contact reporter Jonathan Limehouse at more than 5 million students well until late August. Florida reported 128 new deaths power. 864-943-5644 or follow him on Twitter into the fall. Under the new guide- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds an- Friday and 11,345 new cases. @jon_limehouse. lines, schools can hold online-only nounced she will override local Texas reported 10,000 new cases See CONCERNS, page 5A INSIDE TODAY FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL • BUSINESS 8A • COVID-19 INFO 2A • SPORTS 1B facebook.com/indexjournal • CLASSIFIEDS 4B-6B • MARKETS 2B • TV LISTING 6A • COMICS 3B • OBITUARIES 4A • VIEWPOINTS 7A twitter.com/ijindexjournal 4A n Index-Journal, Greenwood, S.C. Obituaries Sunday, December 31, 2017 Shirley Banister GREENWOOD COUNTY WARE SHOALS — Shirley • Shirley Banister, Turkey Creek Lane, Ware Shoals. 2AErica Garner dies; fought Ann Martin Banister, 75, res- • Margaret Belcher, 4513 Cokesbury Road, Greenwood. ident of Turkey Creek Lane, • Shirley Williams, 828 Gage St., Greenwood. DaybreakSATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020 Ware Shoals, passed away ABBEVILLE COUNTY police brutality after dad’s death Wednesday, December 27, • Mary Bowie, Abbeville. 2017, at Spartanburg Medical TODAY’SAssociated WEATHER Press PHOTO OFcigarettes THE DAYand died after a white police officer TODAY IN HISTORY MCCORMICK COUNTY subdued him with a chokehold. A grand jury de- Center. • Susan Johnson, McCormick. Today is Saturday, July 18, the 200th day of 2020. There NEW YORK — The daughter of key Black clined to indict the officer; the city agreed to pay a Born in Miami, Florida, are 166 days left in the year.