Coronavirus
Record number of new COVID-19 cases reported in South Carolina, DHEC says
South Carolina health officials announced Sunday that 2,335 more people tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases the state has seen since March to 69,765.
Sunday’s total includes 526 new confirmed cases from Friday that the Department of Health and Environmental Control received from a private laboratory on Saturday.
The previous single-day high in COVID-19 cases was reported on July 11, when DHEC confirmed 2,239 new positive tests. On Tuesday, DHEC reported 2,205 positive tests.
DHEC officials also reported there were 19 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total to 1,138.
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.
Which counties were affected?
Charleston County saw the most people testing positive for COVID-19 Sunday with 338. Greenville County had 194 new cases, while 146 positive tests were reported in Horry County.
In Richland County, 117 tested positive for the virus, while 98 new cases were confirmed in Lexington County, according to DHEC.
Health officials said 16 of the confirmed deaths occurred in elderly individuals, with three in Orangeburg County, two apiece in Richland and Greenville counties, and single deaths in Charleston, Darlington, Fairfield, Florence, Horry, Lexington, Newberry, Pickens, and Sumter counties.
Three of the confirmed deaths occurred in middle-aged individuals from Anderson, Pickens and Spartanburg counties, according to DHEC.
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 Sunday, an estimated 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 Sunday, health officials announced one probable case and no new probable deaths.
How are hospitals being impacted?
The number of patients occupying hospital beds was unclear Sunday.
At the federal government’s request, DHEC is transitioning from the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 module to TeleTracking’s U.S. Healthcare COVID-19 Portal for monitoring hospital bed occupancy data. Once TeleTracking has sufficient participation and accuracy, DHEC will report from it.
“There may be incomplete data with significant gaps over the next few days,” officials said.
As of July 17, 1,593 of 7,889 hospital beds were occupied by patients who either tested positive or were being investigated for COVID-19. Four weeks ago, on June 19, state health officials reported that 660 beds were being used by coronavirus patients.
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.
New cases announced in the past three weeks accounted for nearly 50% of all cases the state has seen since March.
This past week, daily case counts ranged from 1,520 to 2,241. State health officials predict 15,182 new cases this week.
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 12,679 tests were reported Sunday, and 18.4% 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.
Since July 10, the percentage of positive tests has been more than 20% on eight different occasions.
Nationally, about 8.7% of tests turn up positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In all, 626,970 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.
McMaster has gradually reopened businesses since April 20, including restaurants, retailers, beaches, gyms and salons. The governor 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.
On Friday, DHEC announced a new statewide campaign “Mask Up SC” aimed at encouraging youth and young adults to embrace wearing a face mask in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In South Carolina, young adults between the ages of 21 and 30 currently make up 22% of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and those ages 11-20 make up 11% of confirmed cases. This data follows national trends that indicate a growing number of young adults and youth are testing positive for COVID-19.
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