COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina reported a record high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday, crystallizing concerns public health officials raised about a spike in coronavirus cases after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The 2,470 confirmed cases reported Friday by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control exceeds the previous single-day high of 2,335 confirmed cases, set on July 19, and marks the 17th consecutive day South Carolina has reported more than 1,000 newly identified cases.
The only longer string of consecutive days with that many confirmed cases came over the summer, when cases topped 1,000 for 33 straight days from July 8 to Aug. 9.
In a joint statement released shortly after the record number of cases was announced, DHEC, the South Carolina Hospital Association and the Medical University of South Carolina urged South Carolinians to take actions to mitigate spread of the virus like wearing masks, limiting contact with people outside of the household and getting tested regularly.
"We're at a pivotal point in this pandemic," the health officials said. "Together, we can take actions to change our course."
The officials said there was increasing evidence that household spread was contributing to new cases and that if more people wore masks it would put a significant dent in the projected incidence of the virus and reduce the number of new infections.
Their statement also stressed the importance of people following quarantine guidelines when a close contact tests positive for COVID-19, even if they're not feeling ill, because asymptomatic individuals are spreading the virus.
"We are currently in an all-hands-on-deck situation," the health officials said. "We know South Carolinians can and will come together, now more than ever, to change our course. We are #SCStrong."
A spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday that the governor had no intention of imposing any new restrictions on movement or businesses as a result of the rising number of COVID-19 cases and put the onus on individuals to wear masks, when appropriate, and follow social distancing guidelines.
"This is obviously not good news," spokesman Brian Symmes said of the spike in cases. "But we know, as the governor has said, what we have to do to mitigate the spread of the virus. We each, as individuals, understand what we have to do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. We need to redouble our efforts to practice what we've learned."
South Carolina, he said, was not unique in seeing COVID-19 cases surge with the onset of the winter season.
"Every state in the country is seeing a rise in cases," he said. "We know the answers. The answer is not draconian measures that can hurt the economy and hurt businesses and hurt people's livelihoods. The answer is to practice social distancing and to wear face masks."
In addition to the surge in new COVID-19 cases reported Friday, DHEC also announced 29 deaths from the virus, bringing the COVID-19 death toll since Monday to 125.
Because deaths from COVID-19 may not be confirmed immediately, the numbers DHEC releases each day do not necessarily reflect the total number of people who died of the virus the day before. They do, however, offer the best indication of how deaths are trending statewide.
The most COVID-19 deaths reported in a single day was 74 on July 25.
Since March, nearly 211,000 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 4,175 have died, according to DHEC.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive has surged this week, topping 21% in each of the past three days, the first time that's happened since mid-July. Of the 11,569 tests reported Friday, 21.4% were positive.
The seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate, which provides an idea of how widespread infection is in a testing area, remains the highest it's been since early September.
Elevated percent positive rates indicate there are likely more people infected with COVID-19 in the community who have not yet been tested and that testing may need to be ramped up.
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.
Roughly 14% of all COVID-19 tests administered in South Carolina since March have come back positive, according to DHEC. The state's 7-day percent positive rate briefly dipped below 5% in mid-May, but has otherwise remained well above the WHO's guidelines for reopening.
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.
The Upstate continues to outpace all other South Carolina regions in COVID-19 cases since a sharp spike last month.
Of the deaths reported Friday, 22 were elderly individuals (65 and older) and seven were middle-aged (35-64), according to DHEC.
South Carolinians of all ages have died after contracting COVID-19, but the disease has taken the greatest toll on 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 show.
DHEC reported 1,047 people in South Carolina were hospitalized for the coronavirus Friday, one more patient than Thursday, which was the first time in more than three months that COVID-19 patients had occupied more than 1,000 hospital beds statewide.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
Coronavirus patients made up 11.9% of all reported inpatients in South Carolina Thursday, the 11th straight day COVID-19 patients have occupied at least 10% of the state's hospital beds, according to DHEC.
A couple key COVID-19 metrics the state tracks to measure spread remain below the highs hit in July, but are trending up, data show.
Daily case rates have risen more than 50% in the past 30 days and hospitalizations are up about 25% from a month ago.
The number of people being tested has been on the rise across the state over the past month, with an average of 174 tests per 100,000 individuals performed daily in the last 30 days, a 22% increase from the month prior, according to DHEC.
An average of 14.8% of those tests have come back positive in the past 30 days.
Overall, more than 2.8 million tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
