COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Saturday announced 144 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including eight additional deaths.
This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 3,207, and 80 total deaths.
The additional deaths occurred in five elderly individuals with underlying health conditions who were residents of Beaufort, Clarendon, Florence, Kershaw, and York counties. There were two deaths that occurred in middle-aged individuals with underlying health conditions who were residents of Greenville and Sumter counties. There was one death of an elderly individual that is still under investigation for any underlying conditions who was a resident of Dorchester county.
The number of new cases by county are listed below.
Abbeville (2), Aiken (2), Anderson (2), Bamberg (1), Beaufort (5), Charleston (3), Chester (1), Clarendon (5), Darlington (4), Dorchester (2), Fairfield (3), Florence (2), Georgetown (4), Greenville (17), Greenwood (1), Horry (8), Kershaw (1), Lancaster (1), Laurens (2), Lexington (18), Marion (1), Marlboro (2), Oconee (1), Pickens (1), Richland (27), Spartanburg (20), Sumter (4), Union (2), York (2).
Dillon County lost two cases from its total counts as the individuals were determined during case investigations to be residents of another state.
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.
Testing in South Carolina
As of April 10, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory has conducted 9,993 tests for COVID-19. Of these tests, 1,182 positive and 8,811 were negative. A total of 28,183 total tests by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs have been conducted in the state. DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory is operating extended hours and is testing specimens seven days a week. The Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.
Hospital Bed Capacity
As of this morning, 5,657 hospital beds are available and 6,012 are utilized, which is a 51.5% statewide hospital bed utilization rate.
Cases by County and ZIP Code
DHEC released two new interactive maps with 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. By including estimates, we hope to better convey the risk of disease spread within our communities.
How South Carolinians Can Protect Themselves
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:
- Monitoring for symptoms
- Practicing social distancing
- Avoiding touching frequently touched items
- Regularly washing your hands
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.