SC surpasses 1,000 COVID-19 deaths after DHEC reports 69 in one day
More than one thousand South Carolinians have now died after contracting the coronavirus, according to state health officials.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Thursday that 69 more people were reported dead after contracting COVID-19, marking the most deaths reported in one day since positive cases of the virus were first identified in March. DHEC attributed that spike in deaths to a delay in reporting dating back a few weeks.
The death toll from the virus is now 1,053 in the state. By comparison, 149 South Carolinians have died so far from flu this season, according to DHEC.
“These are people from our community who are loved deeply by their family and friends who continue to die every day because of COVID-19,” state epidemiologist Linda Bell said.
Health officials also noted that 1,842 more people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of people who have tested positive since March up to 63,880.
The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has also continued to climb day after day. Thursday, the state saw a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients with nearly 1,600.
Bell urged South Carolinians to wear masks and practice social distancing when they leave their homes.
Which counties were affected?
Greenville County led the state in reported deaths with 16.
The following counties saw residents die after contracting COVID-19: Anderson (1), Beaufort (3), Berkeley (2), Charleston (12), Chester (1), Chesterfield (1), Colleton (3), Darlington (1), Dillon (2), Florence (1), Georgetown (1), Greenwood (2), Horry (4), Kershaw (1), Lancaster (1), Lexington (5), Orangeburg (4), Pickens (2), Richland (4), Spartanburg (1) and Williamsburg (1).
Greenville and Charleston tied for the largest increase in cases Thursday with 230 each.
Locally, Richland County saw an increase of 125 cases, and Lexington County saw 58.
Are all cases accounted for?
About 86% of South Carolinians who contract COVID-19 don’t get tested, DHEC estimates. That means as of Thursday, 456,286 people have likely contracted the coronavirus 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 Thursday, DHEC identified four new probable cases and three new probable deaths.
How are hospitals being impacted?
South Carolina has seen a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients nearly every day in July.
On Thursday, 1,578 of 7,935 occupied beds were being used by people diagnosed with COVID-19 or who are thought to have it, a slight increase from the record set Wednesday. That means about 20% of beds in use are being occupied by coronavirus patients.
According to DHEC, 214 of those patients were on ventilators.
Four weeks ago, on June 18, state health officials reported that 626 beds were being used by coronavirus patients.
Across the state, about 73% of hospital beds are in use, but Richland and Lexington counties are both seeing higher rates of bed usage. In Richland County, about 82% of beds are being used, and in Lexington County, 76% are occupied.
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 both Saturday and Tuesday, the state saw more than 2,000 newly identified coronavirus cases, setting a record for daily case counts.
New cases announced in the last three weeks accounted for nearly 50% of all cases the state has seen since March.
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% of tests reported Thursday 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.
In all, 587,567 tests have been completed since March.
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 16, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
