Following another record-breaking weekend with more than 900 COVID-19 cases in just two days, hospitalizations for the virus spiked in South Carolina on Monday, surpassing the 500-mark for the first time.
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) announced 542 cases Monday — the most ever since the agency began tracking cases in early March.
Daily reported cases have been mostly ticking upward for the last few weeks.
Take a look at the daily cases reported since March 6.
For the past five days, South Carolina officials have reported more than 350 daily COVID-19 cases. Keep in mind, before May 30, South Carolina hadn’t reported more than 300 new daily cases ever.
In April, South Carolina averaged 170 COVID-19 cases per day. In May, that number jumped to 190 cases per day. So far in June, that number surged to an average of 383 new coronavirus cases per day.
The recent surge is not necessarily due to the state’s expanded testing. The percentage of positive cases per tests has been ticking upward. On Monday, 8.7% of tests had positive results.
For most of May, the number of daily percent positive cases was less than 5 percent.
Hospitalizations are increasing upward as well — another indicator that the pandemic is still threatening lives in the Palmetto State, despite relaxed orders.
According to SCDHEC, 507 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 in South Carolina on Monday. Since SCDHEC began tracking data of all SC hospitalizations due to COVID-19 correctly on May 5, the state has averaged 432 hospitalizations in May.
“As of this morning, 3,368 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,004 are in use, which is a 67.53% statewide hospital bed utilization rate,” SCDHEC said.
Greenville County — the largest county in South Carolina with a population of 451,225 — recently became the state’s epicenter for coronavirus with 2,175 cases. Just one week ago, Greenville had 1,619 total reported cases.
Richland County — the state’s second most populous county that was the epicenter for the virus for more than a month — now has the second highest cases at 1,794.
Neighboring Lexington County has the third highest cases at 879.
In total, 14,800 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in South Carolina and 580 have died.
On Monday, “eleven deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Berkeley (1), Chesterfield (1), Dillon (1), Greenville (1), Horry (1), Orangeburg (1), Richland (2), and Spartanburg (1) counties, and two of the deaths occurred in middle-aged individuals from Clarendon (1) and Kershaw (1) counties.”
The recovery rate for those who have tested positive for coronavirus has decreased in the last week, dropping two points from 85 percent last Monday to 83 percent today.
Here is a list of free mobile testing clinics this week:
- June 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pickens Middle School, 140 Torch Lane, Pickens, SC 29671, partnership with Clemson University Sullivan Center
- June 9, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tidelands Health at the Market Common, 2200 Crow Lane, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, partnership with Tidelands Health
- June 9, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Northeastern Technical College, 1120 Oakwood St., Bennettsville, SC 29512, partnership with CareSouth
- June 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lake City High School, 652 N. Matthews Road, Lake City, SC 29560, partnership with Lake City Hospital
- June 10, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Manning Jr High School, 1101 WL Hamilton Road, Manning, SC 29102, partnership with Mcleod Health
- June 10, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tidelands Health at the Market Common, 2200 Crow Lane, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, partnership with Tidelands Health
- June 11, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Little River Multicultural Complex, 415 Riley Rd N, Hodges, SC 29653, partnership with Carolina Health Centers
- June 11, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tidelands Health at the Market Common, 2200 Crow Lane, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, partnership with Tidelands Health
- June 11, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Welfare Baptist Church, 2176 Bolt Dr., Belton, SC 29627, partnership with Medical University of South Carolina AnMed
On Monday, World Health Organization officials said it’s “very rare” for asymptomatic people to spread the disease.
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