FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 17, 2020

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 163 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and 7 additional deaths.

This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 4,086 and those who have died to 116.

Of those 7 deaths, three were elderly individuals with underlying health conditions from Florence (1), Richland (1), and Lexington (1) counties. Three were elderly individuals with no reported underlying conditions from Berkeley (1), Lee (1), and Horry (1) counties. One was a middle-aged individual with no reported underlying health conditions from Sumter County (1).  

The number of new cases by county are listed below.
Aiken (3), Anderson (6), Beaufort (8), Berkeley (5), Calhoun (1), Charleston (6), Cherokee (1), Chesterfield (2), Clarendon (8), Darlington (3), Dillon (1), Dorchester (6), Florence (19), Georgetown (1), Greenville (10), Greenwood (1), Hampton (3), Horry (11), Jasper (1), Kershaw (2), Lancaster (2), Laurens (1), Lee (5), Lexington (8), Marion (6), Marlboro (6), Newberry (1), Orangeburg (1), Richland (15), Spartanburg (6), Sumter (9), Williamsburg (1), York (4)

DHEC’s COVID-19 webpage is updated daily with a map of positive cases as well as the most current recommendations for protecting against COVID-19.

Testing in South Carolina
As of April 16, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory has conducted 11,527 tests for COVID-19. Of these tests, 1,400 were positive and 10,127 were negative. A total of 37,640 total tests by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs have been conducted in the state. 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.

Recovery Rate
As of April 17, 67 percent of South Carolina patients confirmed to have had COVID-19 are estimated to have recovered from the disease. Not including the 116 confirmed deaths as of April 17 that have been reported, the remaining patients are presumed to currently be experiencing some phase of the illness. This estimate has been added to our website and will be updated every Tuesday and Friday.

Updated Demographic Data 
Today’s web update includes updated demographic data for positive cases and deaths related to COVID-19. Monitoring demographic information can help direct information and resources to high-risk populations and identify any disparities that need further investigation or focus. Today’s update also includes cases in healthcare facilities and in healthcare workers in our state. 

Hospital Bed Capacity
As of this morning, 5,225 hospital beds are available and 6,183 are utilized, which is a 54.2% statewide hospital bed utilization rate.

Cases by County and ZIP Code
DHEC’s interactive maps were updated to include the latest confirmed and estimated COVID-19 cases by county and ZIP code. The estimated cases represent possible cases based on evidence that for every known case of COVID-19, there could be up to 9 people with the virus who remain unidentified in the community. By including estimates, we hope to better convey the risk of disease spread within our communities.

How South Carolinians Can Protect Themselves
South Carolinians are encouraged to stay home and minimize contact with people outside their households to prevent the spread of the disease. Other steps the public should take include:

• Monitoring for symptoms
• Practicing social distancing
• Avoiding touching frequently touched items
• Regularly washing your hands

Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to their 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.

 

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