Tuesday update on coronavirus cases in South Carolina

>> LIVE, LOCAL, BREAKING NEWS. THIS IS WYFF NEWS 4 TODAT NOO GEOFF: A SPIKE IN THE SOUTH AND THE WEST. COVID-19 CASES SURGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PLUS- NASCAR PUSHES FORWARD. A MASSIVE SHOW OF SUPPORT, FOR BUBBA WALLACE. HAPPENING NOW, A NEW GREENVILLE CITY ORDINANCE TAKES EFFECT. IT REQUIRES EVERYONE TO WEAR A FACE COVERING IN A PHARMACY OR GROCERY STORE. OUR JOE RIPLEY IS LIVE IN DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE WITH REACTION. GOOD AFTERNOON. JOE: IT’S BEEN QUIET OUTSIDE HERE AT THIS CVS, BUT YOU WON’T NOTICE THESE SIGNS SAYING MASKS REQUIRED. THIS COMES JUST 24 HOURS AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE ORDINANCE THAT TOOK EFFECT AT NOON TODAY. EARLIER, THE CITY HANDED OUT CLOSE TO 50,000 FACE MASKS TO BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO WANTED SOME. THEY RAN OUT IN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS. THE BUSINESSES THAT GOT MASKS HAD TO SIGN ON TO THE GREATER GREENVILLE PLEDGE, WHICH MEANS THEY AGREED TO FOLLOW A NUMBER OF HEALTH GUIDELINES TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY GRATEFUL TO GET FREE MASKS.>> RIGHT NOW WITH JUST TRYING TO GET THE BUSINESS BACK UP AND RUNNING, ANYTHING WE CAN GET FOR FREE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER THE MASKS TO CUSTOMERS WHO COME IN. JOE: THE ORDINANCE ALSO REQUIRES EMPLOYEES OF RESTAURANTS, BARS, RETAIL STORES, AND SALONS TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC. A VIOLATION OF THIS PART OF THE ORDINANCE COULD WARRANT A $100 FINE. COMING UP STARTING AT 4:00, OR REACTION ON THE ORDINANCE THAT IS NOW IN EFFECT AND IT WILL LAST FOR THE NEXT 60 DAYS. JOE RIPLEY, WYFF NEWS 4, LIVE IN GREENVILLE. GEOFF: COMMITMENT 2020 NOW- TODAY IS ELECTION DAY WITH 7 RUNOFF RACES IN THE UPSTATE. THERE’S A RUNOFF FOR COUNTY COUNSEL DISTRICT 21 IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, TWO IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS 1 AND 4. A RUNOFF FOR SHERIFF IN UNION COUNTY AND 3 SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE DISTRICT RUNOFFS. ONE RUNOFF OF NOTE, IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, LYNDA BENNETT VERSUS MADISON CAWTHORN. THAT IS FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 11. THAT IS MARK MEADOWS’ FORMER SEAT. HE RESIGNED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO BECOME WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF. IN UNION COUNTY DEMOCRATIC VOTERS ARE GOING TO PICK A NOMINEE IN THE RACE FOR SHERIFF. RENEE WUNDERLICH IS LIVE TO EXPLAIN AN ISSUE. WITH SOME RUNOFF BALLOTS IN THE COUNTY. RENEE: THE CANDIDATES ARE JEFF BAILEY AND CARL JENNINGS, AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT. WE REACHED OUT TO THE ELECTION DIRECTOR AND SHE SAID IT IS A PRINTER MALFUNCTION TO BLAME AND THEY HAD TO GET CREATIVE. TAKE A LOOK. THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES, A VIEWER SENT US THIS PICTURE. YOU CAN SEE JENNINGS’ NAME IS FADED. THE SAME VIEWER SAID SOMEONE ELSE IN THE HOUSE GOT THIS BALLOT. YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE NAMES OF THE FORMER CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF ARE CROSSED OUT EXCEPT FOR BAILEY AND JENNINGS. THE ELECTION DIRECTOR IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO CAST THEIR VOTE AND RETURN THEIR BALLOT EVEN IF IT DOESN’T LOOK RIGHT. IF A BALLOT DOES NOT SCAN PROPERLY WHEN THEY ARE COUNTED TODAY, THE VOTE WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO A PROPER BALLOT AND SCANNED AGAIN. AS OF THIS MORNING, 368 OF THE 388 ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN UNION COUNTY HAD ALREADY BEEN COUNTED. TWO WEEKS AGO YOU HAD THE PRIMARY ELECTION, AND 40% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS HERE IN UNION COUNTY TURNED OUT. THAT IS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE IN THE ENTIRE STATE. A LOT OF INTEREST HERE FOR WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SHARE. AGAIN, THIS IS A RUNOFF. WE WILL NOT KNOW WHO THE NEW SHERIFF IS UNTIL NOVEMBER, BUT WE WILL KNOW THE RESULTS LATER TONIGHT FOR THE ELECTION TODAY. LIVE IN UNION, RENEE WUNDERLICH, WYFF NEWS 4. GEOFF: THIS IS A LIVE LOOK FROM OUR WOODRUFF ROAD SKYCAM THIS AFTERNOON. PARELLA LEWIS JOINS US NOW. AND PARELLA, STORMS POSSIBLE LATER TODAY? PARELLA: ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE CLOUDS WHICH IS HELPING TO KEEP SOME OF THIS AT BAY. WE ARE WARMING UP, AND IT IS STILL A LITTLE ON THE COOL SIDE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 76 IN GREENVILLE WHERE WE HAVE HAD LIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS. NOW YOU CAN SEE SHOWERS HEADING OUR WAY, BUT THOSE CLOUDS AND THE COOLER TEMPERATURES HELP KEEP THESE FROM SPARKING AND BECOMING TOO STRONG. THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY, TEMPERATURES TOPPING OUT IN THE LOW 80’S FOR THE UPSTATE. IF YOU POP-UP STORMS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS OF THE MOUNTAINS WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70’S OR 80. TOMORROW WE HAVE A CHANCE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS AND A CHANCE THAT THE ONES TOMORROW MIGHT BECOME SEVERE. I WILL HAVE THE LATEST ON THAT COMING UP. HAPPENING TODAY, THERE WILL BE A PRIVATE SERVICE FOR RAYSHARD BROOKS, THE MAN SHOT AND KILLED BY POLICE AT AN ATLANTA FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT. THE FUNERAL TODAY IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IT WILL BE STREAMED ON OUR MOBILE APP AT 1:00. THE OFFICER WHO SHOT BROOKS FACES 11 CHARGES. GARRETT ROLFE’S BOND HEARING WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON. THE OTHER OFFICER INVOLVED, DEVIN BROSNAN, IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. EFFORTS TO REMOVE A LARGE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT ON THE GROUNDS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE CAPITOL HAVE BEEN DELAYED. CREWS TRIED TO REMOVE THE 75 FOOT STONE BASE OF THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER MONUMENT, BUT WORKERS DETERMINED THEY NEEDED A BIGGER CRANE. THEY WILL TRY AGAIN TONIGHT. CREWS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO TAKE IT DOWN AND OTHER MONUMENTS SINCE SATURDAY. GOVERNOR ROY COOPER IS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY AND ORDERED STATE WORKERS TO REMOVE THEM. THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING THAT SENT ONE MAN TO THE HOSPITAL. IT HAPPENED AROUND 10:00 LAST NIGHT ON CEDAR BROOK COURT. NO WORD YET ON WHAT LED UP TO THE SHOOTING. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 23-CRIME. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR NAME. ASHEVILLE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AFTER A SHOOTING IN A PARK. IT HAPPENED AROUND 9:30 LAST NIGHT AT WALTON STREET PARK. OFFICIALS SAY WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THE VICTIM HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. THEY SAY THE VICTIM IS IN CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. CORONAVIRUS CASES CONTINUE TO SPIKE IN PARTS OF THE SOUTH AND WEST WITH HOSPITALS IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, SEEING RECORD NUMBER OF PATIENTS. JOE FRYER IS AT A PHOENIX AREA HOSPITAL WITH THE LATEST. JOE: THIS MORNING ARIZONA IS SEEING ONE OF THE LARGEST INCREASES IN COVID-19 CASES IN THE COUNTRY, NUMBERS NEARLY DOUBLING IN THE LAST 14 DAYS WITH MORE THAN 2,000 NEW CASES ON MONDAY. NOW WITH ONLY 17% OF HOSPITAL BEDS AVAILABLE, NURSES ON THE FRONT LINE SAY THEY’RE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP.>> LOOKING FORWARD AT THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS KINDA SCARY AND DAUNTING. JOE: THIS IS ALL AS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SCHEDULED TO SPEAK AT THIS PHOENIX MEGACHURCH LATER TODAY. IN A SINCE DELETED POST CHURCH LEADERS BOASTED ABOUT A DEVICE THEY SAY CAN KILL 99.9% OF THE VIRUS IN MINUTES.>> IT’S IONIZATION OF THE AIR, AND IT TAKES PARTICULATES OUT AND COVID CANNOT LIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. JOE: BUT MEDICAL EXPERTS DISPUTE THAT CLAIM.>> FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY WOULD NOT PREVENT TRANSMISSION FROM PERSON TO PERSON. JOE: MANY STATES IN THE NORTH AND EAST HAVE SEEN FEWER NEW CASES WHILE OTHERS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST ARE SEEING RECORD NUMBERS WITH 8 STATES AMASSING OVER 1,000 NEW CASES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. AND STILL NO REPORTS YET OF SPIKES RELATED TO PROTESTS EARLIER THIS MONTH ALMOST 3000 NEW CASES IN FLORIDA MONDAY, MIAMI’S MAYOR IS NOW REQUIRING MASKS BE WORN IN PUBLIC SPACES.>> WITHOUT A DOUBT, ENFORCEMENT WILL BE A CHALLENGE. JOE: FLORIDA’S GOVERNOR SAYS THERE IS AN INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES IN PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 45. THAT TREND IS ALSO SEEN IN TEXAS, AND ALL OF THIS AS A NEW STUDY RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW LONG COVID-19 IMMUNITY MAY LAST RESEARCHERS FOUND THE AMOUNT OF ANTI-BODIES IN A SMALL GROUP OF INFECTED PEOPLE DROPPED AS MUCH AS 96.2% JUST TWO TO THREE MONTHS AFTER INFECTION. BACK IN ARIZONA AS HOSPITALIZATIONS RISE, SO DOES ANXIETY.

Read More