SC reports more than 3,000 COVID-19 cases, 37 deaths Friday
State health officials Friday reported 3,112 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths from the virus.
A quarter of the 12,443 COVID-19 tests reported Friday came back positive, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. It’s the third straight day the percent positivity rate has been 25% or higher.
COVID-19 hospitalizations, which have been dropping steadily in recent days after reaching record highs earlier this month, were at 1,986 Friday, their lowest point in January and the first time they’ve sunk below 2,000 in four weeks. Coronavirus patients still take up nearly 21% of all occupied S.C. hospital beds, data show.
Since last March, the state has reported 390,977 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 6,271 deaths from the virus.
South Carolina counts an additional 44,656 cases, including 115 Friday, as probable positives, and another 671 deaths, including three Friday, as probable COVID-19 deaths.
DHEC defines a probable case as someone who has had a positive antigen test or has virus symptoms and is at high risk for infection. Probable deaths are ones where the death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of or a contributing factor to death, but the person was not tested for the virus.
Vaccines distributed
As of Friday, South Carolina had received 341,250 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and 316,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The agency reported Friday that 225,299 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 83,076 first doses of the Moderna vaccine had been administered so far. Another 53,104 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 1,310 second doses of the Moderna vaccine also have been administered.
Health care workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and hospital inpatients over 65 are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. As of Jan. 13, all South Carolinians age 70 and older are now also able to schedule vaccination appointments.
In addition to the more than 362,789 first and second vaccine doses that have been administered, 352,219 people have schedule appointments to receive a shot, DHEC said.
Anyone eligible to receive a vaccine who would like to get one can use DHEC’s locator tool to find a provider with availability near you at www.scdhec.gov/vaxlocator.
State health officials advise South Carolinians to continue taking measures to mitigate spread of COVID-19 as the vaccination rollout progresses in the months ahead.
DHEC urges anyone who is symptomatic or who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to get tested themselves and recommends routine monthly testing for anyone who is out and about in the community, even if they are asymptomatic.
To find a testing location near you, visit DHEC’s website at scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-locations.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 1:45 PM.