SC sees 1,109 new COVID-19 cases, 31 deaths as surge declines, health officials say
South Carolina health officials announced Monday another 1,109 new coronavirus cases and 31 new COVID-19-related deaths as the downward trend in new cases continues.
Since testing began last March, state Department of Health and Environmental Control officials have recorded 427,763 total cases and 7,180 deaths in the state.
Monday’s data is based on 24,556 tests, with 6.5% percent of tests coming back positive, according to DHEC. Monday’s ratio is significantly lower then the Jan. 7 rate of 34.2% positive tests, which is the record for a single day. That, however, was partially because of a change DHEC made in the way it calculates the positivity rate.
The single-day record of 226 deaths was reported Jan. 28.
The most new cases in a single day were the 6,824 positive tests on Jan. 8. No other single-day report has surpassed 5,000 new positive tests.
Since Dec. 27, there have been 10 days with more than 4,000 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in a single day, the data show. Prior to the surge in December and January, the previous single-day record was 2,343 cases confirmed on July 18.
Monday marked the 91st consecutive day of more than 1,000 positive tests confirmed in South Carolina, dating back to Nov. 16 when DHEC reported 981 new cases. Health officials reported more than 3,000 daily cases 27 times, and 61 of the past 74 days have seen more than 2,000 positive tests confirmed, the data show.
The latest on vaccine distribution
Health officials said Monday that South Carolina has received 970,550 total doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and that 643,284 of those doses have been administered.
The majority of the doses received — 532,550 — are Pfizer-BioNTech doses that have gone to frontline health-care workers and community first-responders. DHEC reports that 88% of those doses have been administered.
There have been 253,700 Moderna doses received and 42% administered.
Another 452,414 people have made appointments for vaccinations.
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. For those without Internet access, DHEC recently launched a phone line — (866) 365-8110 — where operators are available every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help people searching for information about vaccine providers.
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 and recommends routine monthly testing for anyone who is out and about, even if they are asymptomatic.
To find a testing location near you, visit DHEC’s website at scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-locations.
Overall, 5,533,582 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
Which counties were affected most?
South Carolina’s most-populous counties continued to be epicenters of the virus’ spread.
Greenville County continued to lead the state in new cases with 116. Charleston County saw 86 new coronavirus cases, Horry County reported 77, Lexington County reported 86, Richland County reported 84 and Spartanburg County reported 88.
Most of the deaths reported Monday were elderly residents. Of the 31 confirmed deaths, six were middle-aged residents between the ages of 35 and 64.
The following counties saw residents die after contracting COVID-19: Anderson (1), Charleston (1), Cherokee (1), Colleton (1), Dorchester (1), Florence (1), Greenville (4), Horry (1), Lexington (1), Newberry (1), Orangeburg (2), Pickens (1), Richland (6), Saluda (2), Spartanburg (4), Sumter (1) and Union (2).
Here’s how hospitals are being impacted
The number of people hospitalized statewide for COVID-19 Monday was 1,222, the 14th day in a row the total decreased.
It was the 18th consecutive day of fewer than 2,000 people with COVID-19 being cared for in a South Carolina hospital, following 30 days in a row in which 2,000-plus coronavirus patients were hospitalized, according to health officials.
Prior to the recent winter surge, hospitalizations for COVID-19 previously peaked at 1,723 on July 23, according to DHEC.
Coronavirus patients made up 14.29% of all reported inpatients in South Carolina on Monday, data show.
Nearly 25% of COVID-19 patients, or 301 people, are in intensive care units, and 14%, or 173 patients, are on ventilators.
Of the 11,222 hospital beds available in South Carolina, 8,550 inpatient beds are currently occupied, health officials said. There are currently 1,276 of 1,739 ICU beds occupied, or 74%, according to DHEC.
In Richland County, 736 hospital beds are occupied (69%), while 427 of 541 hospital beds in Lexington County (79%) are occupied, according to DHEC.
Are all cases being accounted for?
Across the country, health experts said official case counts have likely under-counted the number of coronavirus cases to large degrees. At one point, South Carolina officials estimated that 86% of those infected never got tested or diagnosed, but they no longer provide those estimates.
DHEC also has been recording probable cases and probable deaths. A probable case is someone who has not received a lab test result 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, DHEC reported 97 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state and five new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 61,255 and total probable deaths at 854.
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 11:25 AM.
