State health officials confirm 29 new measles cases

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– SC health officials have confirmed there is now 29 new cases of measles in the state of South Carolina.

According to the SC Dept. of Public Health, the new cases now brings the total number of cases in the state related to the Upstate outbreak to 876.

There are currently 354 people in quarantine and 22 in isolation.

DPH has also confirmed a case of measles in a Sumter County resident.

Health officials say at this point in the investigation, it is not yet clear whether this new case is linked to the Upstate outbreak centered around Spartanburg County or if the case may have been exposed where measles is occurring in other locations.

DPH has defined the times of potential exposure at the following locations:

• Mariachis Mexican Restaurant at 1072 Broad Street, Sumter S.C. on Friday, Jan. 23 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Food Lion at 5700 Broad Street Ext., Sumter, S.C. on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Walmart Neighborhood Market at 343 Pinewood Road, Sumter, S.C. on Sunday, Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In response to the ongoing measles outbreak in the Upstate, DPH will activate its Mobile Health Unit this week to offer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination to the public at no cost on Friday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 520 S. Daniel Morgan Avenue, Spartanburg.

To stay up-to-date on the latest measles outbreak information, visit SCDPH’s webpage here.

For additional data related to the outbreak, visit the department’s Measles Dashboard.