COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has set yet another daily record for coronavirus cases as the state continues to deal with a spike in new cases.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Tuesday announced 1,741 new confirmed cases and 17 additional confirmed deaths.
They also announced 2 new probable cases and 2 probable deaths. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 36,297, probable cases to 102, confirmed deaths to 735, and 4 probable deaths.
Seventeen of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Aiken (1), Berkeley (1), Charleston (3), Dillon (1), Edgefield (1), Florence (1), Greenville (1), Horry (1), Lexington (1), McCormick (1), Orangeburg (1), Pickens (1), and Spartanburg (3), and two of the deaths occurred in middle-aged individuals from Florence (1) and Richland (1) counties.
The probable deaths occurred in individuals from Spartanburg County (2).
The below graphic shows the increase in coronavirus cases in South Carolina over the last two weeks. The yellow dotted line shows the 'moving average' which shows the overall trend.
Hospitalizations:
There are currently 1,021 hospital beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.
The number of new confirmed cases by county are listed below.
Abbeville (7), Aiken (28), Anderson (28), Bamberg (10), Barnwell (2), Beaufort (70), Berkeley (60), Calhoun (4), Charleston (375), Cherokee (9), Chester (12), Chesterfield (3), Clarendon (4), Colleton (6), Darlington (12), Dillon (6), Dorchester (87), Fairfield (8), Florence (40), Georgetown (16), Greenville (125), Greenwood (26), Hampton (3), Horry (170), Jasper (10), Kershaw (26), Lancaster (29), Laurens (49), Lee (3), Lexington (100), Marion (16), Marlboro (1), McCormick (2), Newberry (9), Oconee (7), Orangeburg (51), Pickens (31), Richland (137), Saluda (1), Spartanburg (55), Sumter (38), Union (6), Williamsburg (12), York (47)
The number of new probable cases by county are listed below.
Richland (1), Spartanburg (1)
Testing in South Carolina
As of Monday, a total of 420,061 tests have been conducted in the state. See a detailed breakdown of tests in South Carolina on the Data and Projections webpage. DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory is operating extended hours and is testing specimens seven days a week, and the Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.
Recovery/Hospitalization Rate:
As of the latest information, the recovery rate stands at 84 percent. The hospitalization rate is at 13 percent.
Percent Positive Test Trends among Reported COVID-19 Cases
The total number of individuals tested Monday statewide was 9,174 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 19%.
Hospital Bed Occupancy
As of Tuesday morning, 3,035 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,620 are in use, which is a 71.52% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 7,620 inpatient beds currently used, 1,021 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.
More than 60 Mobile Testing Clinics Scheduled Statewide
As part of our ongoing efforts to increase testing in underserved and rural communities across the state, DHEC is working with community partners to set up mobile testing clinics that bring testing to these communities. Currently, there are 64 mobile testing events scheduled through July 30 with new testing events added regularly. Find a mobile testing clinic event near you at scdhec.gov/covid19mobileclinics.
Residents can also get tested at one of 175 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state. Visit scdhec.gov/covid19testing for more information.
How South Carolinians Can Stop the Spread
Evidence is increasing about the high rates of infection in people who do not have symptoms and don’t know they are infectious. This places everyone at risk of getting the virus or unknowingly transmitting it to someone else. Steps we can take to protect ourselves and others include:
- Practicing social distancing
- Wearing a mask in public
- Avoiding group gatherings
- Regularly washing your hands
- Staying home if sick
For the latest information related to COVID-19 visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19.