Coronavirus local updates: SC officials report 180 new COVID-19 cases, 9 additional deaths

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 2.8 million people worldwide -- including nearly 905,000 people in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. Officials are attempting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. as hospitals manage unprecedented patient surges.

>> Scroll below for live, local real-time minute-by-minute updates

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>> Here are the latest updates about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in North Carolina and South Carolina. Scroll below for real-time updates.

• The number of cases across North Carolina reached 8,623 Saturday. North Carolina is now reporting 289 deaths, 105,265 completed tests and 456 people currently in the hospital.
• Gov. Roy Cooper and the state’s coronavirus task force announced a statewide stay-at-home order which is currently in effect.
• Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered a home or work order in South Carolina.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the United States here.

Important Links:

• CDC: Tracking Cases in the U.S. here
• NC Dept. of Health & Human Services
• WSOC Special Section: Tracking Coronavirus
• WHO: Advice for the Public
• WHO: Q&A

Live, local updates from Saturday:

4:12 p.m.

A long-term care facility is Rowan County confirmed two staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Liberty Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center said the employees were sent home immediately. According to the facility, all residents are being tested for the virus, as well.

4:00 p.m.

Mecklenburg County health officials are now reporting 1,455 positive cases of COVID-19 and 40 deaths due to the virus.

3:55 p.m.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 180 new cases of COVID-19 and nine additional deaths.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 5,253 and those who have died to 166.

According to health officials, those who died were eight elderly people from Berkeley (2), Colleton (1), Florence (2*), Greenville (1), Orangeburg (1), Richland counties (1), and one middle-aged person from Lee County (1).

Officials said four of the newly confirmed cases were in Chesterfield County, five cases were in Lancaster County and four cases were in York County.

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3:28 p.m.

Officials confirmed an additional positive case of COVID-19 in Caldwell County.

This brings the total in the county to 30 cases.

2:20 p.m.

Chesterfield County Schools said it will be sending out six buses with Wi-Fi to the same locations where meals are being handed out to students.

The school sites are Petersburg Primary, Jefferson Elementary, McBee Elementary, Plainview Elementary, Cheraw Intermediate and Chesterfield-Ruby Middle.

The district said the buses will be at the locations Monday through Thursday 30 minutes before the meal delivery until 30 minutes after the delivery is finished.

1:00 p.m.

Health officials report there are 88 positive cases of coronavirus in Burke County and they are from both traveling and community spread.

Officials said all positive cases are isolated and the health department is working to determine if anyone else came into contact with the virus.

In Burke County, there are two long-term care facilities that have COVID-19 outbreaks, but those places have not been named.

Health officials said 76% of the cases within the county are in long-term care facilities.

11:05 a.m.

North Carolina has released its latest data on COVID-19 in the state

There were 571 more coronavirus cases confirmed in North Carolina by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

The new figures showed an additional 20 deaths to bring the total to 289.

There have now been 8,623 cases in the state across 95 counties.

Numbers:

There are now 8,623 positive cases reported across North Carolina, which is 571 more than the day prior.

Twenty more deaths were reported overnight, bringing the total for the state to 289.

There have been 105,265 completed tests and 456 people are currently in the hospital for COVID-19.

Case breakdown by age:

0-17 (2%)

18-24 (7%)

25-49 (40%)

50-64 (27%)

65 or older (25%)

COVID-19 deaths by age:

25-49 (4%)

50-64 (11%)

65 or older (85%)

Of those positive cases, 53% are white and 38% are black.

Women make up 51% of the positive cases, and men account for 47%, though men make up 60% of the deaths.

Outbreaks:

There have been 46 reported outbreaks at nursing homes (Burke (2), Cabarrus, Cleveland, Iredell, Mecklenburg (5), Rowan (3), Union (2)). Those nursing homes have seen 1,299 positive cases and 116 deaths.

There have been 18 reported outbreaks at residential care facilities (Cabarrus (2), Mecklenburg (5), Stanly, Union). Those facilities have seen 245 positive cases and 24 deaths.

9:15 a.m.

The U.S. Postal Service has confirmed two employees at Charlotte processing and distribution centers have tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials said one of the employees worked at the Charlotte Processing and Distribution Center on Scott Futrell Drive. The other is the second employee to test positive at the Mid-Carolina Center on West Pointe Drive.

They believe the risk is low to employees who work in the facilities.

“The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority,” the U.S. Postal Service said. “To ensure the health of our employees, we are continuing to follow recommended guidance and strategies from the CDC.”

No other information has been released on these cases.

8:00 a.m.

A statistic that isn’t being counted in North Carolina is the number of people who have recovered from coronavirus.

The State Health Department Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said the CDC hasn’t set the criteria for reporting a patient’s recovery. North Carolina and other states are working with the CDC to set standards for keeping tracking of people who are feeling better.

“We’ve asked the CDC this question so we don’t all define it in different ways just based on the state,” Cohen said. “We’re trying to figure out how we as a country can all define recovery so we have that sort of standardization and not apples to oranges if we define it in different ways.”

Cohen didn’t give a timeline for when the states will have a standard on recovery data.

There are estimates between 90 to 100,000 recoveries nationwide, but without a standard, it’s hard to stay exactly how many.

11:18 p.m. (Friday)

The Iredell County Health Department reported its fifth death due to COVID-19.

Officials said the person had underlying health conditions.

10:29 p.m. (Friday)

A Bojangles’ in Lancaster confirmed an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.

The store located on North Main Street said the employee last works on April 22 and is now isolating at home.

The restaurant said it learned about the employee’s positive diagnosis Friday and closed for appropriate cleaning and sanitation.

The restaurant said it will reopen once all precautionary measures have been taken.

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