COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina on Saturday reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases in more than four months with 1,797, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
It's the fourth time since July that South Carolina has reported at least 1,700 cases — all four were this month — and the most confirmed cases reported in a day since July 23, when 1,870 cases were announced, according to DHEC data.
The department reported there were no new deaths from coronavirus on Saturday.
More than 200,000 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since March and 4,043 have died, DHEC said.
Testing for the virus has ramped up considerably in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, with some popular testing sites processing more than 100 people per hour in recent days, DHEC said.
Almost 13% of the tests reported Saturday came back positive, according to public health officials.
Percent positive rates provide an idea of how widespread coronavirus infection is, with higher numbers indicating there are likely more people infected with COVID-19 in the community who have not been tested and who may unwittingly spread the disease to others.
The World Health Organization earlier this year advised governments not to reopen until percent positive rates were at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.
DHEC urges anyone who is symptomatic or who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to get tested themselves, and recommends routine monthly testing for anyone who is out and about in the community, even if they are asymptomatic.
Across the country, health experts said official case counts have likely undercounted 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 Saturday, DHEC reported zero new probable COVID-19 cases in the state, and zero new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 13,582 and total probable deaths at 303.
DHEC reported 879 people in South Carolina were hospitalized for the coronavirus Saturday, down from Wednesday's 30-day high of 944.
COVID-19 patients made up 11.1% of all reported inpatients in South Carolina Saturday, according to DHEC.
Nearly 27% of COVID-19 patients, or 236 people, are in intensive care units, and more than 13%, or 117 patients, are on ventilators.
Despite the rise in COVID-19 patients, hospital bed occupancy and ICU bed occupancy remain below 75%, with 71.3% of the state's hospital beds and 70.5% of its ICU beds occupied.
Several key COVID-19 metrics the state tracks to measure spread remain below the highs hit in July, but are trending up, health officials warn.
Indicators such as daily case rates by population, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations all have risen since mid-October.
The rate of testing has increased steadily over the past month, with an average of 166 tests per 100,000 individuals being performed daily over the past 30 days, a 20% increase from the month prior.
Overall, more than 2.6 million tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
