Myrtle Beach becoming a hot spot for COVID-19 cases

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — People are flocking to South Carolina's beaches for vacation after being cooped up by COVID-19 for months.

But the coronavirus is taking no vacation. The state has the fourth-highest new infection rate in the nation when adjusted for population, trailing just Arizona, Arkansas and Alabama. One hot spot is around Myrtle Beach, which has seen COVID-19 cases jump from less than 300 at the start of June to nearly 1,600. That only counts residents of Horry County, not visitors who get the virus on vacation. 

Many entrepreneurs fear that more infections could result in bad publicity that hurts business. 

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Tuesday announced 890 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and 14 additional confirmed deaths. There are 824 hospital beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19. 

This brings the total number of people confirmed cases to 26,572, probable cases to 41, confirmed deaths to 673, and zero probable deaths. 

As of Monday, a total of 352,750 tests have been conducted in the state. See a detailed breakdown of tests in South Carolina on the Data and Projections webpage. 

For the latest information related to COVID-19 visit scdhec.gov/COVID19. 

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FACTS NOT FEAR

Remember facts, not fear when talking about the coronavirus. You should take the same measures recommended by health leaders to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses. That means washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, and covering coughs and sneezes.

RELATED: Facts Not Fear | What you need to know about the COVID-19 outbreak

WHERE YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IS IMPORTANT

It is important to make sure the information you are getting about the coronavirus is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. Be careful not to spread misinformation about coronavirus on social media.

For more information visit the CDC OR NCDHHS

NC CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE 

The state also has a special hotline set up where you can call 2-1-1 or 866-462-3821 for more information on the coronavirus. You can also submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org or select chat to talk with someone about the virus.

You can also text keyword VIRUS to WFMY News 2 at 336-379-5775 to find out more information.

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