SC sees 156 new coronavirus cases, four additional deaths
After South Carolina saw its deadliest coronavirus day yet, state Department of Health and Environmental Control officials announced Thursday that four more patients have died after contracting the virus.
The addition brings the statewide death toll to 470.
The patients who died were elderly, and lived in Chesterfield, Fairfield, Greenville and York counties.
Wednesday marked the largest single-day increase in coronavirus deaths, with state health officials reporting 20 deaths across the state.
Thursday, DHEC officials identified 156 more cases of COVID-19, increasing the statewide total number of cases to 10,788.
Richland County saw the largest increase in cases Thursday with 26. Neighboring Lexington County saw eight new cases.
But state health officials believe that as many as 86% of S.C. coronavirus cases have gone unidentified. As of Thursday, DHEC estimated that 77,000 South Carolinians have contracted the virus but not been tested.
State health officials have projected the state will see an increase in positive tests each week until at least the second week of June. By then, they expect to see 1,400 cases a week.
DHEC officials also projected the end of May will bring a total of 11,396 confirmed cases.
The increase could be because of DHEC’s expanded testing strategy. The agency’s plan includes testing about 2% of South Carolina’s population in May and again in June.
Officials have completed more than 110,000 tests in May, meeting their goal.
Since March, labs across the state have completed 187,788 tests.
Experts have also said the state may see a second wave of cases as businesses reopen.
Since April 20, Gov. Henry McMaster has been incrementally reopening businesses. But both he and DHEC officials have continued to recommend that residents practice social distancing.
DHEC has taken other steps to help with a safe reopening, including increasing their contact tracing staff from 20 to 380. They’ve also contracted with private companies to hire 1,400 more.
New coronavirus cases
Abbeville (2)
Aiken (4)
Anderson (3)
Barnwell (1)
Beaufort (5)
Berkeley (3)
Charleston (4)
Chesterfield (2)
Clarendon (1)
Darlington (2)
Dorchester (1)
Edgefield (2)
Florence (10)
Greenville (20)
Greenwood (17)
Hampton (2)
Horry (3)
Kershaw (4)
Laurens (3)
Lee (2)
Lancaster (2)
Lexington (8)
Marlboro (4)
Newberry (2)
Oconee (1)
Orangeburg (1)
Pickens (2)
Richland (26)
Saluda (2)
Spartanburg (6)
Sumter (2)
Williamsburg (1)
Union (1)
York (7)
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 3:46 PM.
