‘Wearing face masks works’ DHEC says as SC sees fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases
South Carolina health officials announced Wednesday that 712 more South Carolinians have tested positive for COVID-19.
In all, 102,143 people have tested positive for the coronavirus since March.
Wednesday marks the third day in a row that confirmed cases have not surpassed 1,000.
Department of Health and Environmental Control officials also reported that 45 more people died after contracting the virus, raising the statewide death toll to 2,057.
DHEC officials did not hold a briefing with reporters Wednesday.
Which counties were affected?
Richland County had the largest increase in confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday with 101 new cases. Nearby Lexington County saw 26 people test positive for the virus.
Residents from the following counties died after contracting COVID-19: Aiken (3), Bamberg (1), Beaufort (1), Berkeley (1), Charleston (2), Cherokee (1), Clarendon (1), Florence (2), Georgetown (5), Greenville (5), Greenwood (2), Hampton (1), Horry (2), Jasper (1), Lee (1), Lexington (2), Orangeburg (2), Richland (4), Saluda (1), Spartanburg (6) and Sumter (1).
What’s new?
DHEC officials released new data Wednesday that showed that local mask ordinances are slowing the spread of the coronavirus, a finding The State reported in late July after analyzing DHEC ZIP code coronavirus data.
On average, areas with mask orders have seen a 15.1% decrease in the total number of new cases during the four weeks after the ordinances were passed, according to DHEC. That means those areas saw a decrease of 34.6 cases per 100,000.
On the other hand, areas without mask requirements have seen a 30% increase in cases during that time, according to DHEC. Those areas saw an increase of 24.1 cases per 100,000 people.
“This new data shows us what we already knew, wearing face masks works,” State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a statement. “We’re strongly supportive of these local leaders’ initiatives that are centered on protecting the health and well-being of their communities.”
Are all cases accounted for?
State health officials estimate that up to 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus don’t get tested. As of Wednesday, they estimated that 729,593 people in all have likely contracted COVID-19 since March.
DHEC has also been recording probable cases and 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 Wednesday, state health officials reported 19 new probable cases and one new probable death. That brings the total number of probable cases up to 831 and total probable deaths to 87.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
South Carolina has seen more than 1,000 new cases reported nearly every day since June 24. New cases announced in the last four weeks accounted for nearly 44% of all cases since March. Last week, daily case counts ranged from 1,105 to 1,295, a decline from the previous week, when case count ranged from 1,170 to 1,666.
State health officials said Friday that the virus’ progression is slowing thanks to local mask mandates and residents practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Cases have been slowly decreasing over the last seven days.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests that turn up positive each day — an indicator of the coronavirus’ spread — has recently lowered from around 20% daily to about 18% on average.
On Wednesday, 19.6% of tests reported were positive, higher than what health officials saw in March and early April and higher than what the percent positive has been in recent days. 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, and the World Health Organization suggests that the percent of positive tests should be below 5% before countries consider reopening.
In all, 857,773 tests have been completed since March.
How are deaths trending?
Deaths reported to DHEC officials each day are delayed, so each day’s release of death numbers results in cases being added to the state’s daily death counts for previous days. For example, the 45 confirmed COVID-19 deaths reported Wednesday dated as far back as May 17.
Regardless, the state has seen an increase in deaths starting in late June. Changes in the number of deaths tend to lag behind changes in the number of cases, according to DHEC. So, if cases begin to decrease, it will be a few weeks before deaths follow suit.
On its deadliest day, around July 20, the coronavirus took the lives of 54 South Carolinians.
How are hospitals being impacted?
Starting in late June, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has steadily increased.
The number of coronavirus patients hospitalized at one time peaked at more than 1,700 on July 23, and the state has seen small decreases in those daily numbers since. Some data since late July was unavailable, though, because DHEC is transitioning to a new tracking system, which would give more precise information about COVID-19-related hospital conditions.
Of the 1,366 people hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the coronavirus, 333 are in intensive care and, of those, 206 are on ventilators, state health officials said Wednesday.
Across the state, 2,121 of 10,382 total hospital beds are available, meaning 79.6% of beds are 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.
