1,366 new cases of COVID-19, and 5 additional death in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - DHEC officials have confirmed 1,366 new cases of Covid-19 and five additional deaths in South Carolina.

Sunday’s update brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in the state to 33,221, and those who have died to 712, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

State health officials also announced four new probable cases of COVID-19.

As of Sunday, 3,025 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,488 are in use, which is a 71.23% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 7,488 inpatient beds currently used, 954 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19, according to health officials.

The following is a breakdown provided by DHEC of total positive cases and total deaths in Lowcountry counties.

The number of new cases reported on Sunday, June 28 by county are listed below:

Aiken (10), Anderson (11), Bamberg (7), Barnwell (2), Beaufort (59), Berkeley (57), Calhoun (4), Charleston (239), Cherokee (6), Chester (9), Chesterfield (5), Clarendon (1), Colleton (12), Darlington (11), Dillon (26), Dorchester (43), Fairfield (1), Florence (30), Georgetown (8), Greenville (194), Greenwood (10), Hampton (2), Horry (185), Jasper (11), Kershaw (13), Lancaster (6), Laurens (35), Lee (7), Lexington (54), Marion (15), Marlboro (1), McCormick (1), Newberry (31), Oconee (20), Orangeburg (27), Pickens (27), Richland (82), Saluda (3), Spartanburg (43), Sumter (7), Williamsburg (2), York (49)

The number of new probable cases are listed below:

Greenwood (1), Lancaster (2), Lexington (1)

The confirmed deaths occurred in four elderly individuals from Charleston (1), Florence (1), Lexington (1), and Richland (1) counties, and one middle-aged individual from Laurens County (1).

DHEC released the following information on specific cases.

A confirmed case is an individual who had a confirmatory viral test performed by way of a throat or nose swab and that specimen tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. A positive viral test, also called a PCR test or molecular test, alone is enough to classify a confirmed case.

• A probable case is an individual who has not had a confirmatory viral test performed but has: epidemiologic evidence and clinical evidence of infection, or a positive antibody blood test and either epidemiologic evidence or clinical evidence. (A positive antibody test alone is currently not a reliable method for diagnosing a COVID-19 infection.)
• A confirmed death is someone whose death is related to COVID-19 and who tested positive with a confirmatory viral test for COVID-19.
• A probable death is an individual whose death certificate lists COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death but did not undergo confirmatory viral testing.

Copyright 2020 WCSC. All rights reserved.