Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on March 29
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Latest cases
At least 774 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 16 people have died, according to public health officials.
Officials reported 113 additional cases in South Carolina on Sunday, the second day in a row the state saw an increase of more than 100 cases.
More than 120 new cases were reported in the state on Saturday, the biggest single-day increase since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported March 2.
The jump is “due to reporting cases from a backlog that had developed at DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory due to a nationwide shortage in the chemicals required for performing testing,” the Department of Health and Environmental Control said.
An additional death also was reported Sunday. The Horry County resident was elderly and had underlying health conditions, officials said.
Projections for the state
South Carolina is still a little over a month away from the pandemic’s peak in the state, a study projects.
The number of cases and coronavirus-related deaths is expected to continue increasing until May 2, according to a study from healthdata.org. The Department of Health and Environmental Control says it expects more than 8,000 cases by then. Of those, 29 could die, the study estimates.
It also projects there will be no new deaths after July 16.
The study said South Carolina hospitals have what they need to handle the peak number of patients.
Medical supplies
The federal government sent South Carolina a second allotment of medical equipment that included more than 44,440 N95 respirator masks, 100,000 surgical masks and almost 200,000 surgical gowns and face shields.
The shipment arrived from the Strategic National Stockpile on Saturday.
Second corrections staffer tests positive
A second employee in the S.C. Department of Corrections has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The new diagnosis is a behavioral health employee at offices housed at the former Watkins Pre-Release Center.
The announcement on Saturday evening came less than 24 hours after the department announced its first, a corrections officer at Broad River Correctional Institution.
Prisma Health announces furloughs
One of the largest health care providers in South Carolina is furloughing workers as the coronavirus continues to spread.
Prisma Health said it’s already begun notifying workers but doesn’t have an exact count on the number of people affected. The decision was reached after a “dramatic” decrease in the number of elective procedures being performed.
Prisma’s website claims 32,000 team members, making it one of the largest employers in the state.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 8:14 AM.
