13 new coronavirus cases brings SC total to 60; new cases in Lee County
South Carolina health officials announced 13 new cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 60, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Richland County, where the first case was announced Tuesday, had three new cases announced Wednesday bringing the total to four, according to the DHEC news release. And another case also was identified in Lexington County on Wednesday bringing the total cases there to four, too.
Lexington County is where the state’s first coronavirus-related death occurred last week. A resident at a nursing home operated by Lexington Medical Center contracted the virus and died. A second resident in the same facility also tested positive for the virus. Then on Tuesday, state health officials announced a third positive case in Lexington County who also had contact with a previous case. Questions about whether the third case was a patient, employee or visitor to the facility went unanswered Tuesday and Wednesday, when the fourth Lexington County case was announced.
Then on Wednesday, state health officials declined to have a briefing with reporters either in person or on the phone, as they have been doing. So it’s unclear whether the fourth Lexington County case is related to the nursing home.
Information about new cases was given in a news release from the agency, which did not contain any additional details about each case beyond the county of residence. On Tuesday, officials gathered for a press conference at the state’s emergency management center would not give specific information — like the age ranges of patients, how they contracted COVID-19 or whether they were hospitalized — about the 14 new cases announced that day.
And so far, state health officials also have not provided any information about the Richland cases beyond the number.
So far, 25 of the 60 presumptive positive tests of the coronavirus have been from Kershaw County residents.
On Wednesday, state health officials also reported two new cases in Beaufort County, one in Charleston County, one in Greenville County, one in Horry County, three in Kershaw County and one in Lee County.
Lee County was the only county with a case that had previously not reported any positive tests.
Do you have questions about the coronavirus? The State will get the answers for you. Go to bit.ly/SCvirus and let us know what you need to know.
So far, only one coronavirus-related death has been reported in South Carolina, an older male patient at the Lexington Medical Center Extended Care Nursing Facility.The man was one of three people who have tested positive for coronavirus connected to the nursing home.
Tuesday, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued a sweeping executive order aimed at fighting the spread of the coronavirus and providing aid to residents across the state. The order included closing dining rooms in restaurants and bars across the state, banning public gatherings of more than 50 people at publicly owned facilities and allowing state agencies to waive any regulations that stand in their way in the fight against the coronavirus.
At McMaster’s urging, the S.C. Senate on Tuesday passed a joint resolution to make $45 million from the state’s rainy day fund available for the state’s coronavirus response. The S.C. House will meet Thursday to take up the resolution.
Congress has also approved an emergency spending package, sending $8.9 million to South Carolina. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an additional package that would provide free testing, paid sick leave and expand other programs to help those out of work due to COVID-19. The U.S. Senate was poised to take up the bill Wednesday.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 4:18 PM.
