COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina lawmakers have approved spending about $1.2 billion in federal relief money to handle COVID-19 on an extra five days of school, replenishing the state's jobless fund and creating their own stockpile of protective equipment.

The 109-2 vote by the House on Wednesday essentially sent the proposal to the governor, who is expected to sign it.

Lawmakers made few changes to Gov. Henry McMaster's suggestion on how to spend the money he sent to them a month ago, just moving funds around a few places and adding an amendment asking state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman to request federal permission to not give some standardized tests next school year — a request Spearman already said she was going to make.

Nearly every House member wore a mask and at least a half-dozen had plastic face shields Wednesday as the spike in COVID-19 cases in South Carolina continues.

The state saw a record 1,291 new cases on Wednesday — the seventh day of at least 869 news cases. Before June 18, the state had never had that many COVID-19 cases in one day.

Health officials said 832 people were in the hospital with the disease Wednesday, also a record. There were 10 deaths reported, as the death tool climbed to 683, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The rate of positive tests was 16%, still quite high and a concern to health officials.

Leaders have said another shutdown of the state is not happening and it will be up to people showing personal responsibility by wearing masks, washing their hands and staying at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart to slow down the COVID-19 case spike.

McMaster is resisting any statewide order to wear masks. Two of the state's largest cities — Greenville and Columbia - have passed their own rules this week requiring everyone to wear face coverings in grocery stores and pharmacies and employees to wear masks in all retail stores. Both cities can fine people $25 for going maskless.

The city mask rules likely are legal because they were passed during an emergency and don't run counter to any state law, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said Wednesday in a statement.

The bill passed by the House and Senate this week dealt with $1.9 billion in federal help, although both chambers agreed to set aside nearly $700 million for any unforeseen COVID-19 expenses through the end of the year, when the money must be spent.

The General Assembly plans to return in September for a two-week special session to pass a budget. The new spending plan starts July 1, but lawmakers want more time to see what COVID-19 does to the economy. They did agree to let agencies keep spending at current rates until then.

The bulk of the COVID-19 relief money, $500 million, goes to refilling the state’s unemployment trust fund. It was rapidly being drained by hundreds of thousands of lost jobs.

The plan sets aside $225 million for five additional school days to help students who missed around 10 weeks of in-class instruction last year. Officials asked that the money be concentrated on elementary schools, although many details like when those extra days would be added to school calendars have not yet been determined and may be left to local districts.

It also gives emergency officials $17 million to create a state stockpile of protective equipment that health officials promise will be rotated and replenished unlike the unusable equipment sent by the federal government to some states when the pandemic started.

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Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.

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