DHEC: SC hits record high in new COVID-19 cases as high positive percentage continues
The number of new coronavirus cases in South Carolina is at a record high, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The department on Saturday reported that 2,715 people tested positive for COVID-19. That is the highest number of new cases since the virus hit in March, breaking Friday’s record by about 300 cases.
The department also announced that 19 more people have died from complications of the coronavirus.
Saturday marks the 18th consecutive day South Carolina has reported more than 1,000 new cases.
The only longer string of consecutive days with that many confirmed cases came over the summer, when cases topped 1,000 for 33 straight days from July 8 to Aug. 9.
The percent of positive tests continues to be high as well, with Saturday’s results showing that 20.8% of people who tested had the virus. Over 13,000 people got tested.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive has surged this week, topping 21% in each of the previous three days, the first time that’s happened since mid-July.
The seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate, which provides an idea of how widespread infection is in a testing area, remains the highest it’s been since early September.
Elevated percent-positive rates indicate there are likely more people infected with COVID-19 in the community who have not yet been tested and that testing may need to be ramped up.
The World Health Organization earlier this year advised governments not to reopen until percent positive rates were at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.
DHEC reported an additional 92 probable cases and an additional two probable deaths.
In total, 213,795 cases of the virus have been discovered in South Carolina and at least 4,194 have died.
Which counties were affected?
The surge in the virus in the Upstate continues.
Greenville County, the state’s most populous county, has reported more than twice as many cases as any other county in South Carolina over the past three weeks.
In the Upstate on Saturday, Greenville again led all counties with 441 COVID-19 cases, followed by Spartanburg County (182), Pickens County (135) and Anderson County (127), according to DHEC.
COVID-19 cases in the Midlands are below the Upstate’s numbers, but also have grown in recent weeks. DHEC reported 215 cases in Richland County and 151 in Lexington counties. York County had 143 new cases.
Charleston and Horry, the largest counties in their respective regions, reported 168 and 153 cases Saturday.
Of the deaths reported Saturday, 13 were elderly individuals (65 and older) and six were middle-aged (35-64), according to DHEC.
South Carolinians of all ages have died after contracting COVID-19, but the disease has taken the greatest toll on elderly residents.
The average age of all South Carolinians who have died from coronavirus complications is 75, and the vast majority of those who died — 87% — were over 60, data show.
The deaths reported Saturday were in these counties: Anderson (1), Calhoun (1), Charleston (1), Chesterfield (1), Dorchester (1), Fairfield (1), Greenville (3), Horry (2), Kershaw (1), Lexington (2), Marlboro (1), Oconee (1), Spartanburg (2) and Union (1).
How are hospitals being impacted?
DHEC reported 1,029 people in South Carolina were hospitalized for the coronavirus Saturday, about 20 fewer patients than on Friday. This week was the first time in more than three months that COVID-19 patients had occupied more than 1,000 hospital beds statewide.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
Coronavirus patients made up 11.45% of all reported inpatients in South Carolina on Saturday, the 11th straight day COVID-19 patients have occupied at least 10% of the state’s hospital beds, according to DHEC.
More than 23% of COVID-19 patients, or 244 people, are in intensive care units, and almost 11%, or 110 patients, are on ventilators, all representing increases since Friday.
Despite the recent increase in COVID-19 patients, hospital bed occupancy and ICU bed occupancy remain at around 80%.
In Richland County, about 75% of hospital beds are occupied Saturday and in Lexington County, about 88% of beds are full, data show.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
A couple of key COVID-19 metrics the state tracks to measure spread remain below the highs hit in July, but are trending upward, data show.
Daily case rates have risen more than 50% in the past 30 days and hospitalizations are up about 25% from a month ago.
The number of people being tested has been on the rise across the state over the past month, with an average of 174 tests per 100,000 individuals performed daily in the last 30 days, a 22% increase from the month prior, according to DHEC.
An average of 14.8% of those tests have come back positive in the past 30 days.
Overall, more than 2.8 million tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 11:24 AM.