COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has exceeded 5,000 daily COVID cases in the latest data, the first time the state's seen a number that high since the worst depths of the pandemic in mid-January.
The state's health agency, DHEC, released their latest numbers Friday, which reflects day collected on Wednesday, August 18. It shows there were 5,238 new total cases--the highest total since January 15.
The previous high of the recent "summer surge" in South Carolina was 4,478 which happened back on August 11.
The troubling numbers show what doctors have been warning for some time, namely that the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to accelerate in the state.
Lexington County led the Midlands with 415 new cases, with Richland County right behind at 371. You can see the full county-by-county list of case numbers here.
DHEC also reported 31 new deaths.
Overall hospitalizations, while not at the record high seen in January, continue to rise, with just 1,800. People with more serious illness are near records, with 461 people in ICU, not far from the 495 seen on January 17. Prisma Health hospital officials said earlier this week that if trends don't reverse, they'll exceed the numbers they saw during the winter peak.
Doctors continue to stress that a much higher vaccination rate is needed to beat back the spread of the disease, saying the unvaccinated are the overwhelmingly majority of people in the hospital. Vaccinations are available for ages 12 and up at many locations across the state. Visit DHEC’s information page for more information on the vaccines, and the locator page to schedule a vaccine appointment.