vaccination

More public colleges and universities in South Carolina are requiring people wear masks on campus to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after the state's Supreme Court ruled the schools can legally do so.

South Carolina State University is delaying fall classes by three days to give students more time to get vaccinated as COVID cases spike across the state. The Orangeburg-based historically black college and university says classes scheduled to start Wednesday for the fall semester will be pushed to next Monday.

A South Carolina pharmaceutical company that has offered COVID-19 vaccines since February will now require all of its own employees to get inoculated. Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. will mandate all of its nearly 2,000 workers be fully vaccinated or have started a two-dose vaccine series by Aug. 27. Details of the requirement were shared with The Associated Press ahead of an official announcement Monday.

Free tuition, Apple products and coveted tickets to this year's Carolina vs. Clemson game are among prizes the University of South Carolina is offering to campus members who get vaccinated against COVID-19. Interim University President and trained epidemiologist Harris Pastides announced the weekly prize giveaway Wednesday as part of a "vigorous vaccination campaign."

One of South Carolina's top state health officials says more COVID-19 outbreaks are inevitable in schools this fall. State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said Wednesday that schools could keep coronavirus spread low by ensuring mask wearing and social distancing, but the state's current virus trajectory suggests more cases are inevitable. Only a few schools have started their semesters, but health officials have already tracked 85 cases among students and staff during the first week of August. Bell says the state is on track to match or surpass virus levels seen during the height of the pandemic last winter. The epidemiologist's warnings come the same day the state surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Allison Eckard about the COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents age 12 and up. Dr. Eckard is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, and she is the Division Chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at MUSC.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Allison Eckard about the COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents age 12 and up. Dr. Eckard is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, and she is the Division Chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at MUSC.

South Carolina health officials are still recommending students and teachers wear masks indoors to curb COVID-19's spread in the upcoming school year, though state lawmakers have already banned school districts from requiring the face coverings. The mask recommendation is part of new coronavirus guidance for schools released Thursday by South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The health agency says the suggestions reflect current virus trends as cases have risen rapidly in the state. Officials are also encouraging schools to set up vaccination clinics and maintain at least three feet of distance between students. Nearly 19,000 COVID-19 cases have been identified among students and staff over the past school year.

Governments and businesses are scrambling to change course following new federal guidance calling for the return of mask wearing in virus hot spots amid a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Nevada moved swiftly to re-impose an indoor mask mandate following Tuesday's announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

South Carolina education officials say they can't follow updated federal guidelines recommending indoor mask use at schools nationwide, even for vaccinated students. Legislation that went into effect July 1 prohibits school districts in South Carolina from using appropriated funds "to require that its students and/or employees wear a face mask." The measure was backed by Gov. Henry McMaster.