FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 9, 2020

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. —  The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 241 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including four additional deaths.

This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 2,792, and those who have died to 67.

The additional deaths occurred in four elderly patients with underlying health conditions. The elderly individuals were residents from Anderson (1), Beaufort (1), Lexington (1), and Lee (1) counties.

The number of new cases by county are listed below.
Abbeville (1), Aiken (10), Anderson (11), Barnwell (1), Beaufort (10), Berkeley (5), Calhoun (1), Charleston (5), Cherokee (1), Chesterfield (1), Clarendon (3), Colleton (3), Darlington (3), Dillion (2), Dorchester (4), Fairfield (1), Florence (6), Georgetown (1), Greenville (31), Greenwood (1), Hampton (1), Horry (8), Kershaw (5), Lancaster (3), Laurens (1), Lee (2), Lexington (33), McCormick (1), Newberry (2), Oconee (1), Orangeburg (4), Pickens (1), Richland (45), Saluda (2), Spartanburg (13), Sumter (9), Union (3), Williamsburg (1), York (5).

One county (Jasper) lost a case from its total counts as the individual was determined during case investigations to be a resident of another county.

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. New as of last night, rates have been added by county to the statewide map. The rates take into consideration the population of confirmed cases, not just the county of residence.

Testing in South Carolina
As of April 8, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory has conducted 9,065 tests for COVID-19. Of these tests, 1,071 were positive and 7,994 were negative. A total of 26,296 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.

Hospital Bed Capacity
As of this morning, 5,416 hospital beds are available and 6,215 are utilized, which is a 53.4 percent statewide hospital bed utilization rate.

Cases by ZIP Code
The latest confirmed COVID-19 cases by ZIP code are available here. This includes estimated cases by ZIP codes, which estimates 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.

100 Percent of WIC Services to be Offered by Phone
Starting Monday, April 13, South Carolina WIC participants will no longer be required to visit WIC clinics. Appointments and the issuance of nutritional services will instead be made over-the-phone. DHEC encourages South Carolina families who are experiencing loss of income related to COVID-19 to apply to our WIC program. As of March 2020, WIC is providing services to 76,803 participants across the state. That is an increase of 2,103 participants from the previous month. To apply for WIC, call 1-855-472-3432 to make an appointment. If you are a WIC participant and have any questions or concerns, please contact your local WIC office.

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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