SC Governor Announces School Closure
“Starting Monday, March 16, all SC schools closed through the end of the month.”
On March 15, Governor Henry McMaster announced all public schools of SC would be closed until the end of March. This includes pre-k through 12th grade, universities, colleges and technical colleges. Many private schools have already been closed. State Superintendent Molly Spearman has requested the federal government to cancel the statewide testing that usually takes around in the spring.
Cherokee County School District also announced that schools will be out until April 10, going through spring break. Schools will be open on Wednesday, March 18th from 10 a.m – 6 p.m for parents to pick up instructional packets and for students to retrieve personal belongings, etc. Grab-and-go meals will be available during the closure for students and everything else regarding school work is currently being discussed.
School will tentatively return on Monday, April 13.
Since the last reports from previous articles covering the COVID-19, the numbers have quickly risen, especially in South Carolina. There were 19 confirmed cases the morning of March 15. However, there are now 28 confirmed cases in South Carolina, hours after the map was updated by the CDC. 9 new cases of the Coronavirus are being investigated which include 2 in Anderson County, and 1 in Greenville County.
According to The Greenville News, “The three Upstate cases along with three new cases in Kershaw County and three new cases in Horry County bring total infected people in South Carolina to 28 — up nine from Saturday.”
Gov. McMaster strongly discourages gatherings of more than 100 people and says all local elections will be postponed until May 1. He also suggests to enforce proper practice of hygiene by hand-washing and limiting exposure to those that are at risk of the virus which include the young and elderly.
Dr. Linda Bell of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control stated, “The number of cases that ultimately occur will depend in part on all of our efforts to practice good personal hygiene like handwashing and protecting others by staying home when ill.”
