COLUMBIA, S.C. — For the third day in a row, more than 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Sunday in South Carolina by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Additionally, health officials said the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized in South Carolina has maintained a record high.
Along with 3,952 new positive tests, 28 more deaths were reported Sunday by DHEC. Health officials said the data reported includes some additional cases and deaths from Dec. 31 and New Year's Day.
Since testing began in March, 296,093 cases of the coronavirus and 5,042 deaths have been reported in South Carolina, data shows.
Sunday's data is based on 13,364 tests, and the percent positive was 29.6%, according to DHEC. That's a slight decrease from Saturday's 33.2%, which was the highest rate in months, and was the third consecutive day the percent positive exceeded 30%.
The record high single-day total was set Dec. 27, with 4,370 new cases that day. Saturday's total of positive tests of COVID-19 was 4,219, only the second time DHEC confirmed more than 4,000 new cases. Prior to the December surge, the previous single-day record was 2,343 cases confirmed on July 18.
Sunday marked the 48th consecutive day that more than 1,000 positive tests were confirmed in South Carolina, dating back to Nov. 16 when DHEC reported 981 new cases. Health officials reported more than 3,000 daily cases eight times, and 29 of the past 31 days have seen more than 2,000 positive tests confirmed, the data shows.
On Saturday, 84 deaths were reported by DHEC. That's the most deaths reported on a single day in South Carolina, surpassing the previous high that occurred on July 25, when 80 deaths were confirmed, The New York Times reported.
Which counties were affected?
COVID-19 cases in the Upstate continue to surge and the area had the most new cases Sunday.
Greenville led all counties with 805 new COVID-19 cases, followed by 319 more in Spartanburg County, according to DHEC.
In the Midlands, Richland County reported 280 new cases and Lexington County 176 new cases.
That brings the number of confirmed cases in Richland County to 24,796, while 15,664 positive tests have been reported in Lexington County.
Of the deaths reported Sunday, 20 were elderly individuals (65 and older) and eight were middle-aged (35-64) — including one in Lexington County, according to DHEC. The other middle-aged deaths were reported in Greenville (2), Abbeville, Beaufort, Horry, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties.
COVID-19 has taken the greatest toll on South Carolina's elderly residents.
The average age of all South Carolinians who have died from coronavirus complications is 75, and the vast majority of those who died — 87% — were over 60, data shows.
The remaining elderly deaths reported Sunday were in Lexington (4), Richland (3), Greenville (2), Horry (2), Sumter (2), Berkeley, Florence, Georgetown, Kershaw, Lancaster, Orangeburg, and York counties.
Overall, 321 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Richland County, while the death toll increased to 267 in Lexington County, according to DHEC.
How are hospitals being impacted?
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19, which has increased every day for the past week, stayed at a record 2,072 statewide Sunday.
Prior to the December surge, hospitalizations for COVID-19 previously peaked at 1,723 on July 23, according to DHEC.
Coronavirus patients made up 24% of all reported inpatients in South Carolina on Sunday, data shows.
Nearly 20% of COVID-19 patients, or 414 people, are in intensive care units, and nearly 10.5%, or 217 patients, are on ventilators.
Of the 13,271 hospital beds available in South Carolina, 8,583 inpatient beds are currently occupied, health officials said. There are currently 1,329 of 1,691 ICU beds occupied, or 78.6%, according to DHEC.
In Richland County, 756 hospital beds are occupied, and 312 are available, while 427 of 517 hospital beds in Lexington County are occupied, data shows.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
Daily case rates nearly doubled last month with 44 people per 100,000 testing positive for the novel coronavirus over the past 30 days.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have topped 1,000 statewide for the past four weeks, according to DHEC.
The number of people being tested across the state has shot up over the past 30 days, with an average of 214 tests per 100,000 individuals performed daily in the last month, a 45% increase from the month prior, data shows.
Overall, 3,774,527 tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
Are all cases accounted for?
Across the country, health experts 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 estimates.
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 92 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state, and three new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 25,576 and total probable deaths at 427, data shows.
