COLUMBIA, S.C. — For the fifth time in the past six days, more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in South Carolina by health officials.
On Sunday, 1,339 more positive tests were reported by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. That brings the total number of confirmed cases to 184,360 since testing began in March.
Sunday's data is based on 8,694 tests, and the% positive was 15.4%, according to DHEC.
Two more coronavirus-related deaths were confirmed Sunday by DHEC, raising the death toll in South Carolina to 3,846.
Which counties were affected?
The Upstate continues to see rising numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19. Greenville County had the most new COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 231, followed by 104 positive tests reported in Spartanburg County and 91 more in Anderson County, according to DHEC.
Horry County, in the Grand Strand region, had the third most new positive tests Sunday, with 92 confirmed cases, data shows.
In the Midlands, Richland County had 52 new cases on Sunday, and Lexington County had 58, health officials reported.
That brings the number of confirmed cases in Richland County to 18,901, while 10,375 positive tests have been reported in Lexington County.
The deaths confirmed Sunday were in elderly individuals (65 and older) in Kershaw and York counties, according to DHEC.
Overall, 267 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Richland County, while the death toll increased to 212 in Lexington County, according to DHEC.
Are all cases accounted for?
Across the country, health experts have said official case counts have likely under-counted the number of cases to large degrees. At one point, South Carolina officials estimated that 86% of those infected never got tested or diagnosed, but they no longer provide those estimations.
DHEC has also been recording probable cases and probable deaths. A probable case is someone who has not received a lab test result but has virus symptoms or a positive antibody test. A probable death is someone who has not gotten a lab test but whose death certificate lists COVID-19 as a cause of death or a contributing factor.
On Sunday, DHEC reported 10 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state, and no new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 11,147 and total probable deaths at 266.
How are hospitals being impacted?
On Sunday, DHEC reported that 752 patients were hospitalized with coronavirus-related symptoms, or 8.8% of all patients currently in the hospital. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at one time in the state peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
Some have more serious conditions than others; 192 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, and 86 are on ventilators.
Of the 11,122 hospital beds available in South Carolina, 8,537 are currently occupied, or 76.76%, health officials said. There are currently 1,237 of 1,697 ICU beds occupied, or 72.89%, according to DHEC.
In Richland County, 776 hospital beds are occupied (70.9%), and 318 are available, while 422 of 499 hospital beds (84.6%) in Lexington County are occupied, data shows.
Health officials said COVID-19 can cause mild to severe illness. Older adults and people who have serious underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and/or chronic lung diseases, are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to DHEC.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
South Carolina has not seen several of its key metrics hit the highs reached in July but S.C. officials have warned that the state is seeing rises in key metrics, especially in the Upstate. Indicators such as daily case rates by population, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations have all risen since the start of September. And while they have not reached July's peaks, they are still at a rate that indicates continued disease spread.
The rate of testing, meanwhile, has declined from the highs reported in the middle of the summer, when DHEC was recording more than 10,000 tests per day, and plateaued throughout the fall.
The rate of testing, meanwhile, has inched upwards recently. Overall, 2,331,961 tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
