SCDHEC Update June 15, 2020

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On Monday (June 15) the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported 582 new cases of the COVID-19 and 2 additional deaths.

This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina since the first case was reported March 6 to 19,378 and those who have died to 602.

The deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Charleston (1) and Lexington (1) counties.

The number of new cases by county are:

Abbeville (3), Aiken (2), Anderson (6), Bamberg (3), Barnwell (1), Beaufort (24), Berkeley (19), Calhoun (4), Charleston (76), Cherokee (1), Chester (3), Chesterfield (1), Clarendon (7), Colleton (3), Darlington (3), Dillon (1) Dorchester (11), Edgefield (1), Fairfield (3), Florence (13), Georgetown (17), Greenville (91), Greenwood (8), Horry (62), Jasper (1), Kershaw (4), Lancaster (2), Laurens (23), Lexington (30), Marion (2), Marlboro (1), Newberry (5), Oconee (6), Orangeburg (35), Pickens (7), Richland (42), Saluda (2), Spartanburg (32), Sumter (7), Union (1), Williamsburg (3), York (16)

Testing in South Carolina
As of Sunday, a total of 293,754 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. The Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.

Percent Positive Test Trends among Reported COVID-19 Cases
The total number of individuals tested yesterday statewide was 6,329 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 9.2%. When the percent positive is low, it may indicate that more widespread testing is being performed and the percent positive may more accurately reflect how much disease is present in the community.

 

Hospital Bed Occupancy
As of this morning, 3,536 inpatient hospital beds are available and 6,947 are in use, which is a 66.27% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 6,947 inpatient beds currently used, 536 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.

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