SC announces nearly 2,000 more COVID-19 cases
South Carolina state health officials announced Friday that 1,964 more people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases the state has seen since March to 65,857.
Department of Health and Environmental Control officials also reported that 25 more people died after contracting COVID-19. That brings the death toll to 1,078.
On Thursday, the state surpassed 1,000 coronavirus related deaths after officials announced they had identified 69 new deaths, a single-day record, although the number included some deaths from previous weeks.
The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients continues to rise, with state health officials recording nearly 1,600 in hospitals across the state Friday.
Which counties were affected?
Charleston County saw the most people testing positive for COVID-19 Friday with 305.
In Richland County, 207 tested positive for the virus, while in Lexington County, 89 did.
The following counties saw residents die: Aiken (1), Anderson (4), Berkeley (1), Dillon (1), Dorchester (2), Georgetown (1), Greenville (2), Greenwood (1), Horry (1), Kershaw (1), Lexington (1), Pickens (1), Richland (3), Spartanburg (2), Sumter (1), Williamsburg (1) and York (1).
Are all cases accounted for?
DHEC estimates that about 86% of South Carolinians who contract COVID-19 don’t get tested. That means, as of Friday, 470,407 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 Friday, health officials announced five new probable cases and one new probable death.
How are hospitals being impacted?
South Carolina has seen a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients nearly ever day in July.
On Friday, 1,593 of 7,889 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 Thursday. 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 19, state health officials reported that 660 beds were being used by coronavirus patients.
Across the state, about 72% of hospital beds are in use, a number similar to what Richland and Lexington county hospitals are seeing.
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 17% of tests reported Friday 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, 606,610 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 17, 2020 at 4:28 PM.
