FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 2, 2020

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 285 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and 1 additional death.

This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 12,415 and those who have died to 501. 

The death occurred in an elderly individual from Horry County.

The number of new cases by county are listed below.
Abbeville (1), Aiken (2), Anderson (3), Bamberg (1), Beaufort (9), Berkeley (2), Charleston (17), Chester (4), Chesterfield (5), Clarendon (4), Colleton (3), Darlington (9), Dillon (3), Dorchester (2), Fairfield (2), Florence (6), Georgetown (2), Greenville (65), Greenwood (2), Horry (18), Kershaw (2), Lancaster (27), Laurens (1), Lee (2), Lexington (20), Marion (1), Marlboro (10), Newberry (2), Oconee (1), Orangeburg (8), Pickens (9), Richland (12), Spartanburg (5), Sumter (9), Union (2), Williamsburg (7), York (7) 

Updated Data: Demographics, Chronic Conditions and Impacted Facilities List
Today’s website information includes updated demographic data, a current list of nursing homes impacted by COVID-19, chronic conditions of individuals who have tested positive, and more. In addition to DHEC’s daily updates, this information is compiled and updated twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

DHEC, SCEMD Encourage COVID-19 Planning During Hurricane Season 
Hurricane season begins this month, and this year, DHEC and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) encourage South Carolinians to include COVID-19 safety precautions in their hurricane preparedness planning. Plan to include cloth masks, soap and hand sanitizer, disinfectants, and over-the-counter medicines for treating mild symptoms in your emergency supplies kit. Download a copy of the 2020 South Carolina Hurricane Guide and download the S.C. Emergency Manager mobile app to stay connected during an emergency.

Testing in South Carolina
As of June 1, a total of 225,047 tests have been conducted in the state (by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs). 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.

168 Permanent Testing Locations, 118 Mobile Testing Events Planned
As part of our ongoing efforts to increase testing in underserved and rural communities across the state, DHEC is working with community partners to set up mobile testing clinics that bring testing to these communities. Currently, there are 118 mobile testing events scheduled through July 2, and 168 permanent testing locations across the state. with new testing events added regularly. Visit scdhec.gov/covid19testing to find a mobile testing event or permanent testing site near you.

Percent Positive Test Trends among Reported COVID-19 Cases
As South Carolina increases testing, there will likely be more laboratory-confirmed cases. The total number of individuals tested yesterday statewide was 3,115 and the percent positive was 9.1%. When the percent positive is low, it may indicate that more widespread testing is being performed and the percent positive may more accurately reflect how much disease is present in the community.

Hospital Bed Occupancy
As of this morning, 3,426 inpatient hospital beds are available and 6,939 are in use, which is a 66.95% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 6,939 inpatient beds currently used, 425 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.

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.

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