SC governor announces closure of all public schools DHEC announced 9 new cases, bringing total to 28 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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THAT’S GET TO SOME OF THE LOCAL IMPACTS RIGHT NOW. GOV. HENRY MCMASTER HAS ORDERED ALL SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOLS TO CLOSE EFFECTIVEIMMEDIATELY THROUGH THE END OF MARCH. IT’S PART OF THE STATE’S RESPONSE TO CORONVIRUS. >> EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I HAVE ORDERED THE CLOSING OF ALL SCHOOLS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. STARTING TOMORROW, MONDAY, MARCH 16. >> MORE DETAILS ON THIS IN JUST A MOMENT. FIRST, HEALTH OFFICIALS IN SOUTH CAROLINA SAY THREE PEOPLE HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES TO 28. TWO PATIENTS HAVE TESTED PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS AT ANMED HEALTH. OFFICIALS SAY THOSE TWO PEOPLE ARE BEING ISOLATED AT THE HOSPITAL. WE ARE ALSO TOLD A YOUNG ADULT IN GREENVILLE COUNTY HAS ALSO TESTED PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE. OFFICIALS SAY THAT PERSON RECENTLY TRAVELED TO SPAIN AND IS ISOLATED AT HOME. AGAIN, A SHORT TIME AGO GOVERNOR , MCMASTER ANNOUNCED A TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF ALL SCHOOLS. OUR TAGGART HOUCK HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS DEVELOPING STORY AND JOINS US WITH THE LATEST. TAGGART? >> SOUTH CAROLINA GOV. HENRY MCMASTER SAYING THE DECISION TO CLOSE ALL SCHOOLS UNTIL THE END OF MARCH WAS A NECESSARY ONE. AGAIN EVERY SCHOOL IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS NOW CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH. MCMASTER JOINED BY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AROUND 4:00 THIS AFTERNOON FROM COLUMBIA. HE SAYS STUDENTS WILL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND. THE GOVERNOR SAYS THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR KIDS. LEADERS WITH GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS SAY THEY’VE BEEN PREPARED. >> IT IS TIME FOR PARENTS TO IMPRESS UPON THEIR CHILDREN HOW IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THAT IS KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE FROM SOMEONE COUGHING, SNEEZING, THAT SORT OF THING. PERSONAL HYGIENE, WASHING YOUR HANDS ALL DAY LONG. IMPRESS UPON THE CHILDREN HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS AND ALSO THAT WILL HELP US REMEMBER OURSELVES HERE. >> WE’RE GONNA GO TO A TWO WEEK E LEARNING OR DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM STARTING BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED CHROME BOOKS AND LEFT THEM AT SCHOOL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE CHROME BOOKS FROM THE SCHOOL. >> THAT WAS TIM WALLER, SPOKESMAN FOR THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TELLS US GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL BE PROVIDING BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHES FREE OF CHARGE TO ANYONE 18 AND YOUNGER AT 15 DISTRICT LOCATIONS. THAT STARTS MONDAY AND CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY. YOU SEE THEM ON YOUR SCREEN AND THAT WILL START TOMORROW MORNING. CHILDREN ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE ENROLLED IN GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS SERVICE. THE GOVERNOR TODAY ALSO RECOMMENDED BANNING GATHERINGS OF 100 OR MORE PEOPLE. THAT HOWEVER DOES NOT INCLUDE STATE OR GOVERNMENT GATHERINGS OR BUSINESSES. HE ALSO SAID ALL LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL AT LEAST MAY 1. THE LIST OF POSTPONED RACES ARE ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. THEY INCLUDE THE CITY OF ANDERSON GENERAL ELECTIONS. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT LOOK AT SOUTH CAROLINA. THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES GROWS THERE. RIGHT NOW, NORTH CAROLINA HAS 32 PRESUMPTIVE AND CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE STATE. OFFICIALS SAY THAT FIGURE HAS DOUBLED IN JUST TWO DAYS. GOVERNOR ROY COOPER IS REMINDING PEOPLE OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS. IT SAYS NO MORE GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE IN NORTH CAROLINA. NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS TOMORROW SO ALL KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS. THAT STARTS TOMORROW. RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE ARE 99 REPORTED CASES OF COVID 19 IN GEORGIA. OFFICIALS SAY THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE STATE INCREASED BY 33 OVER 24 HOURS. THE STATE REPORTS ONE PERSON HAS DIED AS A RESULT OF COVID 19. GOVERNOR BRAIN KEMP HAS ALSO DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENC SOME CHURCHES CLOSED THEIR DOORS TODAY IN REACTION TO THE CORONAVIRUS. OTHERS WELCOMED WORSHIPPERS BUT ASKED THEM TO BE CAREFUL. ROCK SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH IN EASLEY KEPT ITS DOORS OPEN. THE CHURCH ALSO OFFERED AN ONLINE STREAM OF THE SERVICE. CREWS CLEANED THE CHURCH YESTERDAY AND THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER CLEANING IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW. THE CHURCH HAS USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE FEELING SICK TO STAY HOME. >> WE TRIED TO TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS TO TO HELP KEEP OUR FOLKS SAFE WE ALSO WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW TODAY THAT GOD’S NOT GIVING US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR BUT OF FAITH. WE WANT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT’S GOOD FOR EVERYONE INVOLV