238 more test positive for coronavirus in SC. Death toll reaches 320 Friday.
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control officials announced Friday 238 additional people have tested positive for the coronavirus, and four more have died.
That brings the statewide number of cases to 7,367 and the death toll to 320.
The four residents whose deaths were announced Friday were elderly. Two were from Greenville County, and the others were from Clarendon and Florence counties.
Overall, Greenville County saw the largest increase in cases with 31, followed by Florence County with 30.
Locally, Richland County announced 19 new cases, and Lexington County saw 12.
DHEC officials estimate thousands more South Carolinians have contracted the coronavirus and have not been tested. More than 52,600 cases have likely occurred in the state.
Of the patients who have gotten tested, about 81% of them have recovered, DHEC said.
The state will see about 1,000 new COVID-19 patients by next week, according to DHEC projections. And by May 23, a total of 9,652 cases are anticipated.
The state’s coronavirus curve is leveling off, health officials say, but they stress that cases will likely increase as testing is expanded. DHEC is planning to nearly double the amount of testing by the end of May, with a goal of testing 2% of the state’s population each month. So far, about 1.3% of the state’s residents have been tested.
Beginning Monday, DHEC will test all residents and staff at nursing homes, where more than 100 people have died and more than 1,000 have tested positive.
As of Friday, labs across the state have finished 78,290 tests. DHEC’s own lab has performed 19,733.
Along with increasing testing capabilities, state health officials are also ramping up contact tracing efforts. Currently, DHEC has about 230 contact tracers, and hopes to hire about 1,000 more.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has said he is confident that the state is ready to reopen.
Friday, McMaster announced he would allow restaurants to open for limited dine-in service starting Monday. Restaurants must operate at 50% occupancy, and tables must be six to eight feet apart.
The governor also lifted restrictions on boating.
“We recommend the people of South Carolina to use common sense,” McMaster said.
Earlier, McMaster allowed businesses to reopen and lifting his mandatory work-or-home order. He also lifted restrictions on short-term rentals and a mandatory self-quarantine for tourists.
DHEC officials and McMaster have recommended residents continue to practice social distancing as businesses reopen, with a target date of June 16 for relaxing those recommendations.
new coronavirus cases
Aiken (3)
Allendale (3)
Anderson (3)
Barnwell (3)
Beaufort (4)
Berkeley (1)
Charleston (16)
Chester (4)
Chesterfield (3)
Clarendon (5)
Darlington (14)
Dillon (6)
Dorchester (1)
Fairfield (2)
Florence (30)
Greenville (31)
Greenwood (2)
Horry (9)
Lancaster (3)
Laurens (2)
Lee (12)
Lexington (12)
Marion (1)
Marlboro (1)
Oconee (4)
Orangeburg (4)
Pickens (1)
Richland (19)
Saluda (1)
Spartanburg (9)
Sumter (4)
Union (2)
Williamsburg (15)
York (8)
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 4:34 PM.
