Coronavirus
SC sees 172 new COVID-19 cases Thursday as death toll rises to 371
South Carolina continued to see an increase in coronavirus cases Thursday after state health officials announced they had identified 172 additional cases.
Statewide, a total of 8,189 COVID-19 patients have now been identified, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Also announced Thursday by DHEC:
- Florence County saw the largest increase in cases with 19. Locally, Richland County posted 14 new cases while Lexington County saw nine.
- Nine more people have died after contracting the virus, bringing the state death toll to 371.
- Five of the patients who died were elderly. Two were from Fairfield County and the rest were from Greenwood, Laurens and Lexington counties. The other four who died were middle-aged and from Clarendon (2), Pickens and Richland counties.
The number of tested and identified coronavirus patients likely doesn’t give an accurate account. About 86% of people who have contracted the virus have not been tested, DHEC estimates, meaning tens of thousands of cases have gone unidentified.
As of Thursday, DHEC estimated that almost 58,500 South Carolinians have had the virus.
Of the people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, about 81% of them have recovered, DHEC officials said.
By the end of May, DHEC officials are expecting to see about 900 new cases per week. They have also projected that they will have identified 10,493 coronavirus cases by then.
The state’s coronavirus curveis flattening, state health officials and public health experts have said. But a second wave of cases is possible as restrictions on businesses are lifted.
To safely reopen, South Carolina needs more testing and contact tracing, experts say.
DHEC officials are working to nearly double the amount of testing by the end of May with the goal of testing 2% of the state’s population each month. About 1.7% of South Carolinians have been tested so far.
In all, 102,535 tests have been performed across the state.
DHEc has partnered with Kroger and Harris Teeter to provide more testing. The group will host eight drive-thru testing clinics at the Charleston Convention Center in North Charleston on May 15, May 16, May 18, May 22, May 23, May 25, May 29 and May 30.
Appointments can be made at www.harristeeter.com/covidtesting.
The agency has also increased their contact tracing staff, hiring 380 new workers and contracting with private companies for 1,400 more.
Hospitals across the state have seen an influx in patients. Hospitals are at 68.19% capacity, and 443 beds are occupied by people who have been diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has taken several steps to reopen the state, most recently lifting restrictions on close-contact businesses including hair salons, tattoo parlors, nail salons, gyms and pools starting Monday. And restaurants have been allowed to open for limited dine-in services.
The governor has also lifted restrictions on boating, short-term rentals, beaches and visitors to the state. He also lifted his mandatory work-or-home order.
State health officials and McMaster continue to recommend residents practice social distancing as businesses reopen. Both McMaster and state epidemiologist Linda Bell have expressed concerns about residents not following those recommendations.
New coronavirus cases
Aiken (4)
Anderson (10)
Beaufort (2)
Berkeley (1)
Charleston (2)
Chesterfield (5)
Colleton (9)
Darlington (4)
Dillon (9)
Dorchester (1)
Fairfield (12)
Florence (19)
Greenville (16)
Greenwood (1)
Hampton (1)
Horry (7)
Lancaster (3)
Laurens (3)
Lee (1)
Lexington (9)
Marlboro (7)
Oconee (2)
Orangeburg (2)
Pickens (1)
Richland (14)
Saluda (2)
Spartanburg (4)
Sumter (5)
Williamsburg (8)
York (8)
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