South Carolina health officials provided another update on the status of the coronavirus pandemic in the Palmetto State on Tuesday – reporting the lowest number of new cases since April 20, 2020. Tuesday was also only the second day since March 27 that featured fewer than 100 new confirmed or presumed positive cases reported.
According to the latest update from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), there were 93 additional coronavirus cases reported since the data released on Monday.
Take a look …
That was the good news …
The bad news? SCDHEC reported 13 additional coronavirus-related deaths in the Palmetto State on Tuesday – bringing the statewide total to 296 since the agency first began publishing data on March 6, 2020.
According to the agency, twelve of these newly announced deaths occurred in elderly individuals in Beaufort (1), Berkeley (3), Charleston (1), Richland (5), Williamsburg (1), and York (1) counties – while one occurred in a middle-aged individual in Florence county.
SCDHEC did not disclose whether any of the newly announced fatalities had underlying medical conditions.
The latest data comes a little over 24 hours after the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) – which has published widely watched coronavirus projections since the beginning of the outbreak – updated its estimated death toll for the Palmetto State.
According to that update, IHME tripled its projected fatalities for the first wave of the virus from 361 to 1,112 between now and August 4. The institute also revised its prior assessment regarding its first peak – which it now claims will hit the state between May 6 and May 8.
IHME officials – whose modeling has been criticized – acknowledged its latest projections came in response to the relaxing or rescinding of previous government edicts aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
“More locations are easing previously implemented social distancing policies, and human mobility patterns are trending upward – even in places where distancing measures remain in place,” the institute said in a commentary on its update.
(Click to view)
(Via: Getty Images)
All told, 6,841 South Carolinians have tested positive for the virus since early March – however, as we have frequently pointed out, the Palmetto State continues to lag behind the rest of the nation in testing. According to the latest data from the COVID Tracking Project, the Palmetto State ranked No. 45 nationally in terms of completed tests per 100,000 citizens.
“As South Carolina increases testing, there will likely be more laboratory-confirmed cases,” SCDHEC noted in its release.
And again: At this point no one knows how many South Carolinians had the virus already – or already succumbed to it.
As of Tuesday, the agency is sticking with its estimate of 7,675 total cases by May 9 – which would mean an average of 208.5 cases per day between now and then. By May 16, SCDHEC is expecting to see 8,684 total cases – an average of 167.5 cases per day between now and then. And by May 23, the agency is projecting 9,652 total cases – an average of 156.1 cases per day between now and then.
Originally, SCDHEC was projecting nearly 8,700 cases by May 2.
This news outlet will continue to keep close tabs on these numbers as SCDHEC provides them. We will also continue to keep an eye on the projections associated with them, the policies enacted by government officials in response to them and the impact the virus and its fallout continue to have on our communities and our state’s economy.
-FITSNews
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to proactively address? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
