COLUMBIA, S.C. _ South Carolina has surpassed 150,000 total cases of COVID-19.
On Friday, the Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 874 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 14 new confirmed deaths related to the disease.
Since the global pandemic first reached the Palmetto State in March, the health department has recorded 150,033 confirmed cases of the virus and 3,325 deaths. The state reached 50,000 cases on July 9 and 100,000 cases on Aug. 10.
Friday's case count is also the highest the state has seen so far in October, but it has now been nearly a month since health officials have recorded more than 1,000 cases in a single day. South Carolina recorded its first 1,000-case day in mid-June and consistently exceeded that throughout the summer.
Health officials also recorded 7,665 individual test results Friday, putting the percentage of individuals testing positive at 11.4%. The average rate of positive tests has declined from the state's high points in July, when it consistently topped 20%, but it is still well above the 5% mark health experts, including DHEC state epidemiologist Linda Bell, have cited as a goal.
Officials are now recommending anyone who is "out and about" in the community or not able to wear a facial covering and practice social distancing be tested at least once a month, in order to track and curb the spread of asymptomatic cases.
Five of the individuals who died were middle-aged, defined by DHEC as being between 35 and 64 yards old, with the remaining nine all being elderly, defined as 65 years old and up.
State health officials estimated in the past that around 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus don't get tested, and global experts have said official case counts have likely under-counted the number of cases.
The health department 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 Friday, state health officials reported 74 new probable cases and two new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 5,643 and total probable deaths at 205.
As of Friday, the state reported 748 patients in South Carolina hospitals have the novel coronavirus, including 193 in intensive care and 99 on ventilators. The number of patients hospitalized at one time peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
In all, 83.65% of inpatient beds in S.C. hospitals are currently occupied, including 77.28% of ICU beds.
