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The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting 26 new cases of measles in the state since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 211.

Nineteen of the new cases were associated with exposures in known households and previously reported school exposures. Four resulted from an exposure at church. The source of one case is unknown, and two are still being investigated.

There are currently 144 people in quarantine and seven in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is Jan. 28.

Based on the new cases, DPH has identified public exposures at two schools: Sugar Ridge Elementary and Boiling Springs Elementary and began notifying potentially exposed students, faculty and staff on Dec. 31. There are currently nine students in quarantine from these schools. Churches where exposures occurred include Tabernacle of Salvation Church, Slavic Pentecostal Church of Spartanburg, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, and Ark of Salvation Church.

Although complications from measles are not reportable, DPH has learned that four people, including adults and children, required hospitalization for complications of the disease. Additional cases required medical care for measles but were not hospitalized. To protect privacy, DPH does not provide personal details or specifics of the clinical status of cases.

DPH continues to stress the importance of notifying a health care provider of a possible measles exposure before seeking care to allow arrangements to be made in clinical settings to protect others as clinical sites have also been settings of public exposures.

A person with measles is contagious from four days before the rash appears and they may be unaware they can spread measles before they know they have the disease. To help stop the spread of measles, it is very important for those with mild illness or who are in quarantine to stay home to protect others. We encourage employers to support workers in following DPH recommendations to stay out of work while ill or in quarantine which also protects businesses, other workers and clients.

To stay up-to-date on the latest measles outbreak information, visit our dedicated webpage here.

Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent measles and stop this outbreak. Vaccines are also available at many primary care provider offices and pharmacies, as well as DPH Health Departments.

Any community partners or organizations interested in scheduling a vaccination event from DPH’s Mobile Health Unit can request a visit to their location by completing this form on our website. DPH will prioritize requests for MMR vaccination events, if received, and will also take steps to increase appointment availability for MMR vaccination in health department locations, should demand dictate.

Age breakdown of 211 cases:Under 5: 455-17: 14318+: 17Minors under 18 (age undisclosed): 6

Vaccination status:196 unvaccinated, 4 partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose MMR sequence, 1 vaccinated, 4 unknown, and 6 still being investigated.

On the heels of North Carolina reporting its first case of measles linked to the ongoing outbreak centered in Spartanburg County, the S.C. Department of Public Health has released additional locations — including a restaurant and big box store in Greenville — where an infected person visited during the holiday shopping rush.

In a Jan. 3 news release, which said the person did not yet know they were infected, state public health officials listed the following places and times:

Those who were at the downtown Greenville restaurant, electronics retailer or public library at those times should monitor themselves for symptoms and contact a health care provider if they develop any, the agency said. Public health noted that those who might have been exposed at those three locations could start showing symptoms now.

These join a growing list of times and locales that already includes a church, a gym, a restaurant, other businesses, the airport, Spartanburg County offices and a slew of public schools since the outbreak started more than three months ago and has infected at least 185 people. The list is built mostly on reports from infected people, which are not infallible.

Symptoms typically show up within one to two weeks of exposure and can start with a high fever of at least 104 degrees, runny nose, watery eyes or some combination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. A few days later, signs could include white spots inside the mouth and a tell-tale rash, starting on the face and moving downward, CDC said.

Children under age 5 and pregnant women are among those at highest risk for serious complications from a measles infection, which can include pneumonia, a swelling of the brain known as encephalitis, hospitalization or even death, CDC said. Pregnant women can be at higher risk of preterm birth or a low-birthweight baby.

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection, public health said. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine can confer 97 percent or greater lifetime protection against the measles virus.

South Carolina’s outbreak is second among current outbreaks only to Arizona, where 205 have been infected and eight have been hospitalized, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. South Carolina has had three people hospitalized.

South Carolina – Clear skies and crisp air greet the Upstate as 2026 begins, with sunlight reflecting off dry pavement and calm neighborhoods. It feels quiet now, almost springlike by afternoon, but changes are already lining up behind the scenes.

According to the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg, today brings sunshine and mild temperatures, with highs reaching the upper 50s. Winds remain light, making New Year’s Day ideal for travel, outdoor plans, and errands across Spartanburg County and nearby areas.

Clouds increase Friday as moisture returns from the west. Conditions stay dry through most of the day, though skies turn grayer by evening. A chance of rain develops Friday night, signaling the start of a wetter stretch. Roads remain manageable early, but drivers should stay alert as conditions begin shifting.

Saturday brings the biggest impact. Rain becomes likely across the Upstate, with periods of steady rainfall expected through the day. Wet roads and reduced visibility may slow travel along I-85, I-26, and Highway 29. Plan extra time if traveling Saturday, and watch for ponding in low-lying spots.

Rain tapers Saturday night, followed by clearing skies Sunday. Sunshine returns, highs rebound into the mid-50s, and travel conditions improve. To be fair, cooler air settles back in overnight, but no wintry precipitation is expected.

Looking ahead to early next week, dry weather and seasonable temperatures dominate, offering a calmer pattern after the weekend system. Meteorologists note no hazardous weather alerts are currently in effect, but the weekend rain remains the main travel concern.

Enjoy today’s quiet start to 2026, but keep rain gear ready and adjust weekend plans as conditions turn wetter.

Five Day Outlook for Spartanburg, SC• New Year’s Day: Sunny, high near 57• Friday: Increasing clouds, high near 59• Saturday: Rain likely, high near 49• Sunday: Sunny, high near 56• Monday: Mostly sunny, high near 53

POLK COUNTY, N.C. —

On New Year's Eve, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced a case of measles in an unvaccinated child in Polk County.

Officials said the child had visited locations in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, linked to a large ongoing measles outbreak in the Upstate.

The child developed symptoms of measles before Christmas and has since recovered. Officials did not identify the child to protect the family's privacy.

Health officials said this is the second measles case recorded in North Carolina this year and the first believed to be related to the South Carolina outbreak. The first measles case in North Carolina involved an international traveler in June 2025.

NCDHHS recommends all unvaccinated individuals ages one year and older receive measles vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.

NCDHHS is working closely with the Polk County Health and Human Services Agency – Public Health Division to identify locations and times where people might have been exposed to this child while they were infectious for measles, from Dec. 18 through Dec. 26, 2025. People who might have been exposed will be contacted to determine if they have immunity to measles and to discuss actions that might be needed to lower the risk of further spread.

Laboratory testing is not recommended for people who were exposed unless they develop symptoms of measles, including fever and rash. Symptoms of measles can start seven to 21 days after being exposed. If symptoms develop, please limit exposure to other people and call ahead before visiting the doctor or emergency room so steps can be taken to prevent exposure to others.

Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present. Symptoms of measles usually begin 7-14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include:

As of Dec. 30, 2025, the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak is 176 and the total number reported to DPH this year is 179.

As of Dec. 30, 2025, the CDC reported 2,065 confirmed measles cases in the United States for the year in 44 states, with 24 cases involving international travelers. In addition, the CDC reported 49 outbreaks in 2025, with 88 percent of confirmed cases (1,820 of 2,065) associated with an outbreak. Eleven percent of cases required hospitalizations, and three resulted in death.

SPARTANBURG — Five new Keke’s Breakfast Cafes are slated for Upstate South Carolina over the next three years, and the first one is scheduled to open in Spartanburg by June 2026.

Restaurateur Jeff Rigsby signed a deal to open all five, becoming South Carolina’s first Keke’s franchisee after spending the latter part of the last decade eating at the Florida-based eatery when staying at his second home in Orlando.

Around eight or nine years ago, Rigsby said, his kids recommended he and his wife try Keke’s. The restaurant chain opened in 2006. Spartanburg-based Denny’s bought the company in 2022 and has continued to expand the brand.

Rigsby and his wife quickly fell in love with it. The food — mostly breakfast and lunch classics like pancakes, waffles, eggs, omelets, salads, sandwiches and paninis — was delicious, he said, but what really set it apart was the service.

“Every time we’d go in there, the service was impeccable,” Rigsby said. “It was just always very consistent. And at first we only went to that one Keke’s every time we were down there. But as we got more involved with Keke’s, we started going to other ones, and it’s the same at all of them.”

Rigsby, who owns Rigsby’s Smoked Burgers, Wings and Grill and the soon-to-open Rigsby’s Classic Rock Cafe, spent the past 30 years as a Bojangles franchisee before selling them this summer to spend more time working with his sons and focusing on Rigsby’s and Keke’s.

A couple years ago, he and his wife were out to eat at breakfast and ran into a guy he’d worked with while running Bojangles. The man was now working for Denny’s to franchise out Keke’s.

“We laughed because it was our favorite breakfast spot but we never had eaten them up here,” Rigsby said. “We started a conversation with him then, and probably a few months back, we signed the development agreement to do the five stores here in the Upstate.”

The first location will be in a 4,500-square-foot space next to the J. Crew Factory in the Hillcrest Shopping Center on East Main. Rigsby expects it to open by June 2026.

There’s no set plans yet for the rest of the openings, although Rigsby believes they’ll all be operational within three years. Other possible locations include Boiling Springs, Easley, Greer, Simpsonville, Greenville, and the Clemson area.

The openings represent the continued expansion of a brand that’s been growing more than its parent company, Denny’s, which recently announced it was being sold to a trio of private investors for $620 million.

In the year preceding the end of the second quarter of 2025, Denny’s sales stagnated and more than 50 restaurants closed, according to its most recent quarterly report.

Meanwhile, Keke’s sales increased 4 percent and it opened 12 new locations. It has continued growing since that report was filed, standing at 78 restaurants at the time Denny’s announced it would go private.

Rigbsy said he’s optimistic that Denny’s will find success under new ownership but sees a lot of growth potential in Keke’s, in part due to its daytime-only hours, great employee training, and the fact that it's a fairly new brand.

“They really are franchisee-friendly because they want all of us to win together,” Rigsby said. “Sometimes you don’t find that in the franchise orbit. But we’re feeling really good about where we’re going and really excited to get the first one up.”