Prisma Health held one of four statewide COVID-19 community testing events at the Sumter County Civic Center on July 7. Cassandra Waddell, supervisor of administrative support for Prisma said nearly 300 tests were conducted. The community testing, primarily done in partnership with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and state agencies, are aimed at reaching populations who may not otherwise have access to traditional testing or online virtual visits.
Find a COVID-19 testing site near you
How has COVID-19 impacted you? Share your story with The Sumter Item.
Carolina Grove is one of several restaurants in Sumter with the Palmetto Priority certification from the state. Palmetto Priority is a formal commitment made by South Carolina restaurateurs to provide a clean and safe environment for their staff and customers to demonstrate the extensive precautions that they are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
How to navigate restaurants during COVID-19: A guide to Palmetto Priority in Sumter, Clarendon, Lee counties

Our newsroom is providing continuous coverage of the local effects of COVID-19 – verifying facts, crossing over conversations, offering direct information resources and giving voice to leaders and experts that can help. Vital information is free to the public as our newsroom continues to work from home or on the front lines to bring you what you need and want to know. To help us continue this mission, please subscribe and help us sustain this ongoing effort.
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Ricky Simmons, youth pastor and director of the House of Hope at Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, goes through boxes of food items that will be distributed to congregants and community members in need.
Sumter mirrors SC, nation in COVID-19's disproportionate impact on African-Americans
Weekly meal reservation survey QR code. Open your phone camera and point it at the code. An option to open a link will appear, which will open a web page with the survey.
Free meals for all children available at school districts
Sumter Cares Masks Fund kicks off to help local public school students and teachers
Free COVID-19 testing will be offered to the public at two mobile sites in Clarendon County and one in Sumter County in the next week.
Free COVID-19 testing coming to Manning, Rembert, Summerton
PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Aubrielle Burk, right, a first-grader at Millwood Elementary School, and her sister, Gabby Burk, a seventh-grader at Bates Middle School, get help from their grandmothers, Gwen Burk, left, and Loretta Brown, on their virtual school assignments at Gwen's home on Thursday.
Sumter grandma duo pitches in with virtual school
Local resources
Where are masks required in Sumter, Clarendon, Lee counties? Sumter County Council members are asking residents to wear masks in public, but they are not requiring people to do so. A resolution "urging" residents to wear face coverings when in public in the county was passed during a public meeting …
Here's a list of resources, accounts for parents with at-home, virtual learning children during COVID-19 This page is dedicated to providing parents with resources, ideas and inspiration for keeping kids engaged, entertained and learning while school is out due to the coronavirus. Most of this is aimed …
How to make a cloth face covering at home with or without sewing Here is some information and tutorials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to wear a cloth face covering, how to make one and why. The CDC is now recommending everyone …
A Q&A about filing for unemployment in South Carolina during COVID-19 With the number of people applying for unemployment rising daily, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce offers the following questions and answers:   Q. If someone can’t …
Your guide to Sumter-area takeout and delivery during conoravirus restrictions  

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A student in Meredith Avins' 3rd-grade class at Willow Drive Elementary School participates in LEAP days on Thursday, Aug. 13, with full coronavirus safety protocol.
Pre-K, kindergarten, 1st grade can begin hybrid classes in Sumter School District Oct. 1 For Sumter's youngest students and those who receive supplemental supports, Sumter School District will move to a hybrid/blended model of instruction on Oct. 1 and Sept. 28, respectively. Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox distributed a letter …
Students in Jayne Evenich's fifth-grade class at Willow Drive Elementary participate in LEAP days on Thursday, Aug. 13, with full coronavirus safety protocol.
Some Sumter students tapped to begin in-person instruction For Sumter’s youngest students and those who receive supplemental supports, Sumter School District will move to a hybrid/blended model of instruction on Oct. 1 and Sept. 28, …
Students in Jayne Evenich's 5th-grade class at Willow Drive Elementary School participate in LEAP days on Thursday, Aug. 13, with full coronavirus safety protocol.
Legislators representing Sumter say reopening schools decision Friday will be 'tough call' Four Sumter County delegation members across political parties say they think Sumter School District has acted appropriately in taking a cautious approach to reopening schools for in-person instruction. State Reps. David Weeks, D-Sumter, and …
Sumter County Judicial Center is seen recently. South Carolina's courts system will reopen to the public on Sept. 21.
Sumter preps for 1st jury trial since courts closed when pandemic began After being shut down for six months, South Carolina's court system is set to reopen starting Sept. 21. Since March, South Carolina's court system has been shut down in efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but on Monday, …
New owner: Sumter IHOP to reopen in first half of October Residents will soon be able to eat their favorite crepes or 'cakes (that's short for pancakes) as Sumter's IHOP will be reopening next month. IHOP franchisee and developer Mohamed Makawi, the new owner of the Broad Street chain, spoke Wednesday …

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South Carolina approves 2nd round of federal COVID-19 aid COLUMBIA (AP) - South Carolina lawmakers agreed Wednesday on how to spend the remaining $693 million in federal money meant to help pay for COVID-19 expenses. Most of the money - $420 million - will go to replenish the state's unemployment fund, …
Missouri governor, opponent of mandatory masks, has COVID-19 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who has steadfastly refused to require residents to wear masks, tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said …
UK experts issue warning on exponential virus cases LONDON (AP) - Britain's top medical advisers warned the public Monday they must make further sacrifices to control the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying new coronavirus infections could increase tenfold to almost 50,000 a day next month …
MICHAEL CAPUTO
Apology, no firing: Official said U.S. scientists hurt Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — A Trump health appointee who is accused of trying to muzzle an important scientific publication in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic apologized Tuesday for a separate …
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette speaks with reporters after the first meeting of accelerateSC on April 23 in Columbia. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday.
S.C. lieutenant governor contracts coronavirus COLUMBIA - South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday and is recovering in isolation with her family at home, officials said. Evette had a sore throat and headache Thursday and was tested for the virus. She has …

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Sumter's Virtual COVID-19 Response.

Sumter's COVID-19 Response - Featured Guest: Dr. Clay Lowder, Colonial Healthcare

We went live with Dr. Lowder via Zoom earlier today and got all the latest on what he and his team at Colonial Healthcare are doing to curb the spread of this virus. Be sure to check back with us …

Sumter's COVID-19 Response - Featured Guest: Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox, Sumter School District Superintendent

We went live with the superintendent via Zoom earlier today and got all the latest on what she and her team at the Sumter School District are doing to keep things moving smoothly for the …

Sumter's COVID-19 Response - Featured Guest: Mayor Joe McElveen, City of Sumter

We talked to the mayor live on Zoom earlier today, with the public also viewing and submitting questions, about the city’s response to this pandemic. He gave some insightful and honest thoughts …
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