After record breaking weekend, SC sees more than 1,500 new coronavirus cases
After South Carolina saw record breaking numbers of identified coronavirus cases over the weekend, state health officials announced Monday that 1,532 more people tested positive for the virus.
Since March, 58,003 people in all have tested positive for COVID-19.
A little more than one in five people tested for the virus tested positive, according to DHEC.
The Palmetto State also saw record breaking numbers of coronavirus related deaths last week. Monday, state health officials announced that 13 more people were reported dead, bringing the statewide death toll up to 961.
Which counties were affected?
Orangeburg County saw the most deaths with four. Bamberg, Charleston, Clarendon, Greenville, Lexington, Marion, Pickens, Richland and York counties saw one reported death each.
Charleston County continued to lead the state with the most newly identified cases. Officials reported that 279 Charleston County residents tested positive for COVID-19.
In Richland County, 124 more people tested positive for the virus, and in neighboring Lexington County, 92 tested positive.
Are all cases accounted for?
About 86% of South Carolinians who contract COVID-19 go undiagnosed, DHEC officials estimate. On Friday, that means a total of 414,307 people have likely contracted the virus since March.
State health officials have also started to track what officials consider to be probable cases or probable deaths.
A probable case is someone who has not received lab test results but has virus symptoms or a positive antibody test. A probable death is someone who has not gotten a lab test but whose death certificate lists COVID-19 as a cause of death or a contributing factor.
On Monday, DHEC did not announce any new probable cases or deaths.
How are hospitals being impacted?
DHEC officials have reported record highs of hospitalized coronavirus patients week after week. On Sunday, the state reported a record of 1,472 people hospitalized for COVID-19 at once.
As of Monday, 1,488 of the 7,692 occupied hospital beds in the state were in use by coronavirus patients, a new record. That means about one in five beds in use are being occupied by COVID-19 patients.
According to DHEC, 205 of those patients are on ventilators.
On June 29, South Carolina surpassed 1,000 hospital beds occupied at once by people diagnosed with the coronavirus or who were thought to have it. That number has continued to climb each day since.
Across the state, hospitals are at an average of about 71.9% capacity, officials reported Monday.
Local hospitals are neck in neck with the statewide average, with 72.7% of beds in Richland County filled and 71.4% of Lexington County beds in use.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has said the state is ready to implement a plan to create new bed space if hospitals become overburdened. He added he may require medical facilities to postpone elective procedures again. On Thursday, officials with the S.C. Emergency Management Division said the state had not reached that point.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
South Carolina has seen record daily coronavirus case counts since June. On Saturday, for the first time ever, the state surpassed 2,000 coronavirus cases announced in a single day.
Last week, daily case counts ranged from 934 to 2,239. The week before, they fell between 1,319 and 1,885.
DHEC officials also noted that the percentage of tests that turn up positive — another indicator of the coronavirus’ spread — has been rising over the last 28 days.
Officials reported that 21.2% of tests reported Monday were positive. That number is higher than what health officials saw in March and early April. In May, at its lowest point, the percentage of positive tests fell between 2% and 4% on average.
Nationally, about 8.7% of tests turn up positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People testing positive for the coronavirus are also skewing younger, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Since June 1, there has been more than a 400% increase in people aged 21 to 30 testing positive for the virus, DHEC officials said.
On Saturday, the first South Carolina child, who was under the age of five, died after contracting the virus. And on Sunday, state health officials confirmed the state’s first two cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, an illness associated with COVID-19.
Why are case numbers up?
DHEC officials say case counts are surging because more people are leaving their homes as businesses reopen. Fewer people are practicing social distancing and wearing masks, they said.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has gradually reopened businesses since April 20, including restaurants, retailers, beaches, gyms and salons. McMaster has repeatedly said he would not consider closing businesses again or requiring South Carolinians to wear masks in response to the coronavirus case explosion.
In contrast to McMaster’s statements, state epidemiologist Linda Bell has said a statewide mask requirement could help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Local officials have taken their own steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including in Columbia where masks are now required.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 2:06 PM.
