FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 28, 2020

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is including updates to its extensive COVID-19 website to help make data and information more easily accessible and user friendly.

On Aug. 11, DHEC unveiled a new county-level online resource that provides detailed county-level data and a localized look at the impacts of COVID-19 in South Carolina. This new dashboard was developed by DHEC’s data analysts, GIS specialists and epidemiologists using information gathered through the agency’s expansive disease surveillance capabilities. 

Because the county-level dashboard consolidates so many different data sets into one online resource, in order to avoid confusion and reduce the production of duplicated information, the agency is referring the public to the county-level dashboard for data sets such as: 

• cases by ZIP code, 
• percent positive statewide and for each county, 
• demographic data, 
• chronic health conditions information, and 
• updates on the cases and deaths associated with nursing homes and similar congregate care facilities.

Beginning today, the individual webpages that previously contained those data sets will direct users to the county-level dashboard. The dashboard is available by clicking the green “S.C. County-Level COVID-19 Data” button on the main COVID-19 landing page.

No data or information that had previously been provided is being taken away or reduced. The same information – and more – is available on the county-level dashboard.

The quality, completeness, and amount of data that DHEC publicly reports each day has earned South Carolina an A+ rating from the COVID Tracking Project, a trusted, national organization that collects and consolidates COVID-19 data from all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia.

Latest COVID-19 Update (August 28, 2020)

DHEC today announced 903 new confirmed cases and 34 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 23 additional confirmed deaths and 5 new probable deaths.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 114,400, probable cases to 1,551, confirmed deaths to 2,521, and 134 probable deaths.

Confirmed and probable cases: please click here.
Confirmed and probable deaths: please click here.

More Than 470 Testing Opportunities Available Statewide
Testing for COVID-19 is essential because it helps identify people who are infected with the virus, whether or not they have symptoms, so they can isolate themselves and keep those around them from becoming infected, especially at-risk individuals who can develop life-threatening illness if they contract the virus. Identifying those with COVID-19 who have symptoms helps ensure they receive the medical treatment they need.

DHEC is working with community partners to set up mobile testing clinics and make testing available in communities across the state. Currently, there are 248 mobile testing events scheduled through October 17 and there are 223 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state. Find a testing clinic or event near you at scdhec.gov/covid19testing.

Testing in South Carolina
As of yesterday, a total of 989,673 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, and the Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.

Percent Positive
The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday statewide was 5,751 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 15.7%.

Hospital Bed Occupancy
Since July 22, the federal government has required hospitals nationwide to report data directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through a new TeleTracking system, which replaces the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Healthcare Safety Network system that had been used initially by hospitals for reporting COVID-19 data.

Hospitals report their information each day to HHS by way of TeleTracking, and that same reporting is also provided to DHEC. Click here to view data from today's TeleTracking report.

COVID-19 Information
For the latest information related to COVID-19 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.

###