SC sees 245 new coronavirus cases, three additional deaths, DHEC says
South Carolina saw 245 new coronavirus cases Friday, bringing the statewide total to 9,638, state health officials announced.
Additionally, three more people died after contracting COVID-19, pushing the state’s death toll to 419. Of the three who died, two were from Spartanburg County and one was from Jasper County. They were all described as elderly.
Richland County posted the largest increase in cases Friday with 28. Neighboring Lexington County saw 10.
The number of coronavirus cases announced each day are likely just a fraction of the total number. DHEC estimates that as many as 86% of people who have contracted the virus have not been tested or diagnosed.
As of Friday, DHEC believes that nearly 68,800 people across the state have actually had COVID-19.
The number of coronavirus cases identified per week has fallen. Last week, DHEC officials counted 1,220 cases, but they expect that number to fall to 1,024 by the end of May.
By the end of the month, DHEC expects to see 10,890 confirmed cases.
But DHEC officials may see a second wave of cases as businesses reopen, experts warn.
Thus far, restrictions have been lifted on some retailers, beaches, boating, short-term rentals, salons, gyms, pools and restaurants. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster also lifted restrictions on some entertainment and recreational businesses Wednesday, including youth and adult sports, zoos, museums, amusement parks, which can resume on May 30.
Experts have argued that DHEC needs to increase testing and contact tracing as businesses reopen.
DHEC official’s goal is to test about 2% of the state’s population in May and again in June. State health officials have said the agency is on track to meet that goal in May.
As of Friday, labs across the state have completed 154,746 tests.
Health officials have also bulked up their contact tracing staff from 20 to 380. They’ve also contracted with private companies to hire 1,400 more.
Hospitals across the state have also been hit by the coronavirus. Nearly 68.44% of hospital beds in the state are currently occupied, and 429 of 7,084 beds in use are being used by patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who are suspected to have it.
State health officials and McMaster continue to recommend residents practice social distancing as businesses reopen. Both McMaster and Linda Bell, state epidemiologist, have expressed concerns about residents not following those recommendations, though McMaster has also said the recommendations weren’t mandatory and has cited citizens’ voluntary compliance as a reason to reopen the state’s economy.
New coronavirus cases
Aiken (5)
Anderson (4)
Beaufort (8)
Berkeley (2)
Charleston (16)
Cherokee (1)
Chester (3)
Chesterfield (10)
Clarendon (1)
Colleton (2)
Darlington (2)
Dillon (8)
Dorchester (6)
Edgefield (1)
Fairfield (3)
Florence (11)
Georgetown (1)
Greenville (17)
Greenwood (3)
Hampton (1)
Horry (26)
Jasper (2)
Kershaw (6)
Lancaster (4)
Lee (4)
Lexington (10)
Marion (3)
Marlboro (2)
McCormick (1)
Newberry (8)
Oconee (1)
Orangeburg (3)
Pickens (6)
Richland (28)
Spartanburg (16)
Sumter (8)
Williamsburg (9)
York (3)
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 4:07 PM.
