Three people die from COVID-19 and 20 more are infected a month after a shag dance festival in South Carolina
Three people have died from COVID-19 and 20 more have been infected a month after a shag dance festival in South Carolina.
The event was held across a number of days in Myrtle Beach at the end of last month after the Society of Stranders’ Fall Migration Festival had canceled their official event due to coronavirus.
Jeptha 'Jeppy' McDowell died on October 17 from the virus; Donald 'Tootie' Brown passed away the following day. Brown's wife Maxine is in intensive care, The Myrtle Beach Online reports. A third person, who attended the Shaggin' On Main festival but who has not been named, also died from the virus.
At least 20 people who went to the dance have tested positive for the virus.
The deaths of attendee Jimmy Weaver of the Holiday Band and another unidentified musician have not been confirmed as related to COVID-19.
Shag dancing, a two-person, male-led dance, is popular across the Carolinas.
Jeptha 'Jeppy' McDowell, left, died on October 17 from the virus; Donald 'Tootie' Brown, right, passed away the following day after a shag dance festival in South Carolina
The deaths of Jimmy Weaver, pictured, of the Holiday Band and another unidentified musician, who also both attended, have not been confirmed as related to COVID-19. At least 20 people who went to the dance have tested positive for the virus
Duck's Night Life, one of the bars to take part, is said to have obtained an event permit to open and said it carried out temperature checks on the door.
The club has said it was within its legal rights to host the event and have not commented further.
But one attendee said up to 200 customers came to the club on one of the nights.
Richard Hewitt, who contracted the virus, said: 'We were too cool to wear masks. I appreciated that they were the only big club that was open. I don't want to say anything but positive things about Duck's. Would I do it again? Most certainly.'
But Lulu Quick, who owns a still shuttered nearby bar, said: 'My friends are dying. It's the worst I've ever seen. If only everyone had been a little more careful.'
Pictures posted online are said to show few guests in masks and not socially distancing at the event.
Jeptha 'Jeppy' McDowell, pictured left, died on October 17 from the virus
The festival was held across a number of days after the Society of Stranders’ Fall Migration Festival had canceled their official event due to coronavirus. Shag dancing, a two-person, male-led dance, is popular across the Carolinas (stock image)
Duck's Night Life, one of the bars to take part, is said to have obtained an event permit to open and carried out temperature checks
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said: 'We're refraining from announcing cases associated with individual places of businesses unless doing so would be necessary to protect public health due a massive exposure event.
'We expect the number of cases for any county to fluctuate and there aren't always identifiable factors that contribute to an increase in a particular area.'
South Carolina's COVID-19 cases are creeping back toward a point not seen since Gov. Henry McMaster lifted the ban on large gatherings.
The state's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases was more than 950 as of Monday. It has been below 1,000 new cases since mid-August other than a few brief spikes as many schools returned in September.
The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths have also been climbing from 12 to 22 over the past 10 days.
In Horry County, where the dance took place, a mask mandate when inside businesses is coming to an end at the end of this month.
