SC surpasses 70,000 identified coronavirus cases, DHEC meets July testing goal
South Carolina surpassed 70,000 coronavirus cases after state health officials said Monday that 1,445 more people tested positive for the virus.
Nine more people have died after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the state’s death toll up to 1,147, the Department of Health and Environmental Control said.
South Carolina health officials also announced that it had surpassed the testing goal it set for July. DHEC officials initially aimed to finish 140,000 tests this month, but had collected data about 143,336 tests by July 16.
Which counties were affected?
Horry and Orangeburg counties saw the most deaths, with two elderly residents dying in each locale. Charleston, Greenville, Hampton, Richland and Spartanburg counties saw one death each.
Charleston County continued to lead the state with the largest increase in coronavirus cases. On Monday, DHEC reported that 188 more residents of the county tested positive.
In the Midlands, 177 more Richland County residents test positive, and Lexington County added 45 new cases.
Are all cases accounted for?
DHEC estimates that only about 14% of South Carolinians who contract the coronavirus get tested for it. As of Monday, they estimate that 508,664 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, they identified two new probable cases and no additional probable deaths. In all, DHEC has reported 232 probable cases and 17 probable deaths.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
South Carolina has seen record daily coronavirus case counts since June. New cases announced in the last three weeks accounted for nearly 50% of all cases since March.
Last week, daily case counts ranged from 2,295 to 1,481. The week before, they fell between 934 to 2,239.
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 17.7% 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.
In all, 638,194 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.
How are hospitals being impacted?
South Carolina has seen a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients nearly every day in July.
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.
DHEC is transitioning to a new health care data reporting system, so information on the state’s hospital capacity and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients was not available Monday.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 2:07 PM.
