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Virus curve 'appears to be beginning to level' in South Carolina, Dr. Bell says

The total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina is at 6,258 and those who have died to 256.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina's lead expert on the coronavirus says the curve of cases for the illness appears to be leveling in the state.

Dr. Linda Bell, the state's epidemiologist with DHEC, made the statement Friday at the same news conference where Gov. Henry McMaster announce he was lifting the mandatory home or work order. The order will now be voluntary.

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Bell also announced there were 160 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and 12 additional deaths. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 6,258 and those who have died to 256.

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Bell said the state would continue to monitor the curve in the coming weeks to see if it lowers. She said she could not predict when the curve will go down.

She said the state is expanding testing and will eventually move to what's known as contact tracing. That involves tracking down people who may have been in close contact with someone who's tested positive. 

Here is more on the new data released Friday by DHEC:

Eleven of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Greenville (1), Clarendon (3), Florence (1), Horry (1), Orangeburg (1), Richland (1), Spartanburg (1), and Williamsburg (2) counties. One occurred in a middle-aged individual from Spartanburg (1) county.

The number of new cases by county are listed below.

Aiken (2), Allendale (1), Anderson (3), Barnwell (1), Beaufort (6), Berkeley (2), Charleston (6), Chesterfield (7), Clarendon (4), Colleton (6), Darlington (4), Dillon (2), Dorchester (3), Florence (21), Greenville (11), Hampton (3), Horry (8), Jasper (2), Lancaster (3), Lee (2), Lexington (9), Marion (2), Marlboro (1), Newberry (1), Orangeburg (5), Pickens (3), Richland (16), Saluda (4), Spartanburg (6), Sumter (2), Williamsburg (9), York (5)

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DHEC’s COVID-19 webpage is updated daily with a map of positive cases as well as the most current recommendations for protecting against COVID-19.

Community Outreach and Engagement Efforts

DHEC says it is working with the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to spread COVID1-19 messaging. This week, a list of DHEC’s information and resources was emailed to more than 400,000 licensees around the state.

Updated Recovery Rate

Based on the available symptom onset data for 4,873 of the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, DHEC estimates that as of April 30, 78 percent of individuals have recovered from the illness and 22 percent remain ill. This estimate is updated on our website every Tuesday and Friday.

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Updated Demographic Data

DHEC's web update includes updated demographic data for positive cases and deaths related to COVID-19. Monitoring demographic information can help direct information and resources to high-risk populations and identify any disparities that need further investigation or focus.

Hospital Bed Capacity

As of Friday, DHEC says 4,653 hospital beds are available and 6,743 are in use, which is a 59.2% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 6,743 beds currently used, 300 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.

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Testing in South Carolina

As of April 30, DHEC says its Public Health Laboratory has conducted 15,690 tests for COVID-19. Of these tests, 2,064 were positive and 13,626 were negative. A total of 59,379 total tests by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs have been conducted in the state. 

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Cases by County and ZIP Code

DHEC’s interactive maps were updated to include the latest confirmed and estimated COVID-19 cases by county and ZIP code. The estimated cases represent possible cases based on evidence that for every known case of COVID-19, there could be up to 9 people with the virus who remain unidentified in the community. 

How South Carolinians Can Protect Themselves

DHEC says 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. 

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South Carolinians are encouraged to stay home and minimize contact with people outside their households to prevent the spread of the disease. 

Other steps the public should take include:

  • Practicing social distancing
  • Wearing a mask while out in public
  • Avoiding touching frequently touched items
  • Regularly washing your hands
  • Monitoring for symptoms

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Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to their healthcare provider or use the telehealth services provided by several health care systems. 

For telehealth options and the latest information about DHEC’s COVID-19 response efforts, please visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19

Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources from the S.C. Department of Mental Health.

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