5 more coronavirus deaths reported in SC as total infections rise to 10,178
Ninety more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and five more deaths were reported on Monday. The state has now confirmed a total of 10,178 cases of the virus since early March.
With seven new cases in Richland County and a total of 1,366, the seat of the state capital is still the site of the biggest outbreak in the state. Greenville County has the second-highest number of cases, with a total of 1,300.
Lexington County had five new cases Monday and a total of 558.
Four of the five latest COVID-19 deaths were elderly people in Chesterfield, Darlington, Florence and Lexington counties, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. A middle-aged person in Horry County also has died.
A total of 440 people in South Carolina now have died as a result of the coronavirus.
The numbers were announced by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Monday, as thousands traveled through the state for the Memorial Day weekend, some of them gathering on the state’s beaches with or without face masks. Gov. Henry McMaster reopened many attractions ahead of the holiday, on top of the steady reopening of restaurants and businesses in recent weeks.
But experts continue to caution that following social distancing guidelines — like wearing face masks and maintaining a 6-foot distance from others — are necessary to curve the spread of the disease even as daily life gets back to normal.
As of Sunday, state health officials had conducted a total of 171,034 COVID-19 tests, and laboratories are operating extended hours seven days a week in order to turn out test results within 24 to 48 hours. More than 50 mobile testing sites are planned by DHEC around the state over the next month, and 145 permanent testing sites are operating around the state.
This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 3:57 PM.
