SC cases climb to 1,554 as coronavirus spreads to every county. Death toll hits 31
South Carolina cases of coronavirus reached a new high Thursday after health officials announced 261 new patients have tested positive.
Statewide, 1,554 cases of COVID-19 have been identified in all 46 of the state’s counties.
Cases are projected to continue to increase throughout the month with a peak in late April, according to projections by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
DHEC officials also announced Thursday that five patients with the coronavirus have died, bringing the statewide total to 31. Two of the patients were from Florence County, one was from Anderson County, one was from Horry County and one was from Sumter County. Each was over the age of 60 with underlying health issues.
Overall, Charleston County saw the largest increase in cases, with 41 new cases. In Richland County, officials identified 24 new cases, and in Lexington County, they found nine new cases.
“There are now documented cases of COVID-19 in every county across our state,” said Brannon Traxler, a DHEC physician. “The level in which it continues to spread will hinge on all of our actions. Please do your part and stay home and limit your close contact with others.”
State health officials project that by May 2, the state will see more than 8,000 cases.
An exact count of cases is unknown. In South Carolina, like across the nation, many testing samples are waiting to be tested in private labs, said DHEC’s Acting Director of Public Health Nick Davidson on Thursday.
Meanwhile, worries are growing that some of the state’s hospitals may not be able to handle an onslaught of patients with the virus. Thursday, the S.C. Nursing Association sent a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster and health officials, raising concerns that many nurses lack masks and other critical supplies to safely care for patients.
And nurses at a Prisma Health facility in the Columbia-area said Wednesday they were being discouraged from using personal protective equipment that could decrease their chances of getting infected.
Hospitals across the state have received infusions of medical equipment and supplies, including two recent shipments from the national stockpile. DHEC officials have said they expect to receive a third shipment.
While there have been struggles to meet needs for personal protective equipment, the state is not close to ventilator capacity, Traxler said.
And the number of available beds in hospitals across the state continue to decrease. As of Thursday, hospitals were about 53% capacity, Traxler told reporters. About 6,500 beds were in use, a 553 bed decrease over the last month.
About 80% of those infected with the coronavirus will not require hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has issued several orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. Tuesday, he shuttered all nonessential businesses, including entertainment venues, gyms, hair salons and tattoo parlors. The governor has also allowed police to break up groups of three or more, ordered restaurants to close dining rooms and closed access points to state beaches and waterways.
The coronavirus and widespread closures has also continued to take their toll on the South Carolina economy. As of Thursday, the state posted nearly 100,000 applications for unemployment since the virus began to spread.
New coronavirus cases announced Thursday
Abbeville County: 2 cases
Aiken County: 4 cases
Anderson County: 10 cases
Bamberg County: 1 case
Beaufort County: 29 cases
Berkeley County: 15 cases
Charleston County: 41 cases
Cherokee County: 1 case
Chester County: 3 cases
Chesterfield County: 1 case
Clarendon County: 3 cases
Colleton County: 1 case
Darlington County: 4 cases
Dorchester County: 8 cases
Fairfield County: 1 case
Florence County: 5 cases
Georgetown County: 1 case
Greenville County: 25 cases
Greenwood County: 2 cases
Hampton County: 1 case
Horry County: 8 cases
Jasper County: 3 cases
Kershaw County: 13 cases
Lancaster County: 9 cases
Lee County: 3 cases
Lexington County: 9 cases
Marlboro County: 1 case
McCormick County: 1 case
Newberry County: 2 cases
Pickens County: 1 case
Richland County: 24 cases
Saluda County: 1 case
Spartanburg County: 5 cases
Sumter County: 18 cases
Union County: 2 cases
Williamsburg County: 3 cases
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 4:09 PM.
