SC coronavirus cases surpass 3,200; eight new deaths also reported by officials
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in South Carolina continues to rise with an additional 144 positive tests and eight new deaths announced Saturday by state health officials.
That puts the state’s total of confirmed cases at 3,207 and the number of deaths at 80. A month ago there were 10 confirmed cases of the virus in the state — and no reported deaths.
The eight new deaths mark the second largest single-day increase in the state during the pandemic, after 12 were announced this past Wednesday.
Six of those eight deaths were among individuals 60 years or older in Beaufort, Clarendon, Florence, Kershaw, York and Dorchester counties. All but the one in Dorchester County involved someone with underlying health conditions according to officials with the Department of Health and Environmental Control, who added that the Dorchester case is still being investigated.
The remaining two deaths, which occurred in Greenville and Sumter counties, involved middle-aged individuals with underlying health conditions.
State health officials have said that for every confirmed positive case, there may be as many as nine more cases undiscovered in the community. According to updated numbers released Saturday, officials estimate there are 19,700 unidentified cases (which would put the state total near 23,000).
Among confirmed cases, Richland County continues to lead South Carolina with 479 cases after 27 more were identified Saturday. But based on per capita numbers, Kershaw County still leads the state with 267.46 confirmed cases per 100,000 people — this despite adding just one new case Saturday.
Lexington County surpassed 200 confirmed cases with 18 new ones reported Saturday; meanwhile, Spartanburg County added 20 more cases.
The continually increasing number of coronavirus cases is expected to strain S.C. hospitals which as of Saturday were at 51.5% capacity. State leaders have developed a plan to add about 3,000 additional beds — to the existing 6,000 already across South Carolina — by early May.
Officials with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control have also received two shipments from the national stockpile of medical supplies, and they also expect a third shipment.
Gov. Henry McMaster has taken several steps to combat the spread of the coronavirus, including issuing a mandatory “home or work” order and announcing other directives to close schools through the end of April, shut down dining rooms in restaurants, require nonessential businesses to stop operations, cut off access points to state beaches and waterways and allow police to break up groups of three or more.
McMaster has also issued an executive order to allow furloughed workers to qualify for unemployment benefits.
NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES BY COUNTY
- Abbeville: 2
- Aiken: 2
- Anderson: 2
- Bamberg: 1
- Beaufort: 5
- Charleston: 3
- Chester: 1
- Clarendon: 5
- Darlington: 4
- Dorchester: 2
- Fairfield: 3
- Florence: 2
- Georgetown: 4
- Greenville: 17
- Greenwood: 1
- Horry: 8
- Kershaw: 1
- Lancaster: 1
- Laurens: 2
- Lexington: 18
- Marion: 1
- Marlboro: 2
- Oconee: 1
- Pickens: 1
- Richland: 27
- Spartanburg: 20
- Sumter: 4
- Union: 2
- York: 2
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 4:10 PM.
