Confirmed or presumed positive coronavirus cases in South Carolina remained relatively stable on Tuesday, however the number of newly completed tests slipped for the third consecutive day. Meanwhile, the death toll related to the virus ticked up for the third day in a row …
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) announced 137 new confirmed or presumed positive cases since the last batch of data was released on Monday. That brings the statewide total to 9,056 total cases since state officials began tracking the spread of the virus in early March.
Now, for the context …
SCDHEC reported results on Tuesday from 3,504 completed cases – of which 3.9 percent were positive. All told, the agency has announced results from 135,063 completed cases – of which 6.7 percent have been positive.
The agency has seen the number of completed tests decline for three consecutive days, however – from a record-breaking 10,715 completed tests on Saturday to roughly a third of that total on Tuesday.
The decline comes as the Palmetto State was just beginning to make progress in the national rankings on this key metric. Prior to the release of Tuesday’s data, South Carolina had climbed from No. 49 to No. 38 nationally in the number of completed tests (2,689) per 100,000 citizens, according to data supplied by The COVID Tracking Project.
In addition to the latest testing numbers, SCDHEC announced eight (8) additional fatalities associated with the virus – bringing the statewide death toll to 399. Six of the newly announced fatalities were elderly residents of Dillon (1), Greenville (4), and Lexington (1) counties, while two were middle-aged citizens from Cherokee and Horry counties.
South Carolina deaths remained just below revised fatality estimates released on Monday by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle, Washington.
On Monday afternoon, IHME amended its projected death toll for the first wave of the virus to 485 fatalities prior to August 4, 2020 – up from its previous projection of 469 fatalities. However, that number remains well below the 1,112 fatalities the institute was projecting for the Palmetto State earlier this month.
For Tuesday, the instituted had projected the death toll to clock in at 407.
-FITSNews
This news outlet is committed to providing our readers with the very latest, most relevant information we have related to this unfolding global story – and all of the stories we cover. To check out more of our coronavirus coverage, click on the link below …
***
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.
(VIA: GETTY IMAGES)