COLUMBIA, S.C. _ State health officials are sending up an alarm about the rate of COVID-19 infections in people who don't have symptoms and likely don't know they're carrying the disease.
"Evidence is increasing about the high rates of infection in people who do not have symptoms and don't know they are infectious," the Department of Health and Environmental Control said in a statement. "This places everyone at risk of getting the virus or unknowingly transmitting it to someone else."
Health officials announced Saturday that 1,178 more South Carolinians tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases identified since March up to 98,743.
Department of Health and Environmental Control officials also reported that 67 more people died after contracting COVID-19, one of the highest numbers of deaths announced.
In all, 1,931 Palmetto State residents died after contracting the coronavirus since the virus was first identified in the state.
South Carolina health officials said Friday that the coronavirus's spread is slowing down in the state, citing that new case numbers have fallen recently and the percentage of positive tests are also is falling day to day. That trend continued on Saturday.
To continue the decline in new cases and stymie the spread of the virus by people without symptoms DHEC launched the "Fight the Spread" campaign.
The campaign encourages South Carolinians to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask in public, practicing social distancing and getting tested.
Other actions we can each take to help protect ourselves and those around us, include avoiding group gatherings, regularly washing your hands and staying home if sick, DHEC said.
State health officials estimate that up to 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus don't get tested. As of Saturday, they estimated that 705,314 people in all have likely contracted COVID-19 since March.
On Saturday, state health officials reported they were investigating six new probable cases and six new probable deaths. In all, DHEC has identified 717 probable cases and 76 probable deaths.
A probable case is someone who has not received lab test results 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.
Starting in late June, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has steadily increased.
The number of coronavirus patients hospitalized at one time peaked at more than 1,700 on July 23, and the state has seen small decreases in those daily numbers since. Some data since late July was unavailable, though, because DHEC is transitioning to a new tracking system, which would give more precise information about COVID-19-related hospital conditions.
On Saturday, state health officials said 1,424 people are hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases. Of those, 234 are on ventilators, state. About a third of the state's ventilators are in use.
Across the state, nearly 82% of hospital beds are in use, according to DHEC.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has said the state is ready to implement a plan to create new bed space if hospitals become overburdened. He added he may require medical facilities to postpone elective procedures again.
In Orangeburg County, the S.C. National Guard was called to build overflow tents for treating coronavirus patients when necessary. The tents will open in one or two weeks, according to media reports.
South Carolina has seen more than 1,000 new cases reported nearly every day since June 24. New cases announced in the last five weeks accounted for nearly 68% of all cases since March. Last week, daily case counts ranged from 1,170 to 1,666. The week before, they fell between from 1,368 to 2,335.
The percentage of tests that turn up positive _ another indicator of the coronavirus' spread _ has been high, hovering around 20% daily for the last 28 days.
On Saturday, about 16% of tests reported were positive, higher than what health officials saw in March and early April. In May, at its lowest point, the percentage of positive tests fell between 2% and 4% on average.
Nationally, about 8.7% of tests turn up positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In all, 812,013 tests have been completed since March.
DHEC officials say case counts are surging because more people are leaving their homes as businesses reopen. Fewer people are practicing social distancing and wearing masks, they said.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has gradually reopened businesses since April 20, including restaurants, retailers, beaches, gyms and salons. In late July, he issued an order reopening the remaining closed businesses while putting in place a limited statewide mask rule.
Local officials have taken their own steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including in Columbia and Richland County where masks are now required.
Deaths reported to DHEC officials each day are delayed, so each day's release of death numbers results in cases being added to the state's daily death counts for previous days. For example, the 67 confirmed COVID-19 deaths reported Saturday dated as far back as July 22. Most of the deaths occurred in the first week of August.
Regardless, the state has seen an increase in deaths starting in late June.
The highest number of deaths announced was 72, with those deaths happening between June 20 and July 24, and most of those in the week prior to July 24.
On its deadliest day, around July 20, the coronavirus took the lives of 54 South Carolinians.
