Coronavirus cases in South Carolina increase by 180, nine more deaths
An additional 180 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across South Carolina on Saturday, as the epidemic curve of the state continues to flatten but not drop off.
Saturday’s new cases brings the state’s confirmed total to 5,253 and represents the highest single-day increase in nine days, but down from the record 276 cases reported on April 16.
Nine additional deaths related to the coronavirus were also reported, bringing the state total to 166. One of those nine deaths previously occurred in Florence County and has been confirmed and re-added to the state total. Eight of the patients were elderly individuals — one each from Colleton, Greenville, Orangeburg and Richland counties, and two from Berkeley and Florence; the remaining death involved a middle-aged individual from Lee County.
According to projections from the Department of Health and Environmental Control updated this past Monday, officials expected to see 958 cases this past week from Sunday to Saturday. In actuality, 1,041 were reported, down from a high of 1,279 during the week of April 5-11.
But those confirmed cases represent just a fraction of the infections across the state, officials say. The latest estimates from DHEC project roughly 37,500 cases across the state, with just 14% tested and confirmed.
Richland County continues to lead the state in confirmed and estimated cases, adding 20 more confirmed ones Saturday to bring its total to 787. Clarendon County has the highest confirmed rate of infection per 100,000 residents, at 509.71 cases, and added nine more confirmed cases Saturday.
South Carolina will see about 750 new cases of coronavirus per week until early May, according to estimates from DHEC officials. While some models show that South Carolina has passed its peak number of cases, state officials say there is only evidence of a flattening of the curve, not a consistent drop-off.
South Carolina saw its first coronavirus cases on March 6 in Kershaw and Charleston counties, and has seen new cases nearly every day since.
By the end of March the Palmetto State saw more than 1,000 cases; case counts have fluctuated each day due to shortages in chemicals needed to perform the COVID-19 test.
While the virus continued to spread across South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency and closed many nonessential businesses earlier this month. This week, however, McMaster ordered that some retail businesses and public beaches be allowed to reopen, though South Carolina still has not met several criteria set by the White House for reopening the economy.
Schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, McMaster announced Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 3:59 PM.
