SCDHEC Update Tuesday, May 12

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On Tuesday afternoon (May 12) the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported 147 new cases of COVID-19 and 9 additional deaths. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 since the first case Mar. 6 in South Carolina to 7,927 and those who have died to 355.
Eight of those deaths occurred in elderly individuals in Darlington (2), Florence (1), Richland (2), Spartanburg (1), and Williamsburg (2) counties, and one of the deaths occurred in a middle-aged individual in Aiken County (1).
The number of new cases by county are:
Aiken (4), Allendale (1), Anderson (3), Barnwell (2), Beaufort (2), Berkeley (2), Charleston (8), Clarendon (2), Dorchester (1), Fairfield (1), Florence (11), Georgetown (2), Greenville (33), Horry (2), Kershaw (2), Lancaster (4), Lee (3), Lexington (2), Marion (2), Oconee (2), Orangeburg (3), Pickens (3), Richland (23), Saluda (1), Spartanburg (5), Sumter (4), Williamsburg (4), York (15)
DHEC Continues to Increase Testing Statewide
DHEC is working with key community partners to provide COVID-19 testing across the state as part of the agency’s expansive statewide testing strategy. DHEC’s goal is to test two percent of the population or 110,000 South Carolinians per month and is on track to meet this target by the end of the month. To find a mobile testing clinic near you, visit DHEC’s mobile testing clinic webpage. Locations are regularly added to the webpage as new information is provided.
How South Carolinians Can Protect Themselves
South Carolinians are encouraged to continue to practice daily prevention methods for protecting against spread of the disease. This includes staying home if sick and minimizing contact with people outside their households. 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
Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to a 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.
*As new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the person’s county of residence, as it is provided to the department. DHEC’s COVID-19 map will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.