Following yet another record-breaking weekend with more than 3,300 new COVID-19 cases in South Carolina, hospitalizations in South Carolina ticked upward too on Monday with more than 1,000 reported eight days in a row.
Just a month ago, only 482 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 across South Carolina.
On Monday, 1,260 coronavirus patients were in South Carolina hospital beds.
Here’s a look at COVID-19 hospitalizations since late May.
The good news is that overall, the hospital bed utilization rate has been ticking downwards.
“As of this morning, 3,303 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,377 are in use, which is a 69.07% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 7,377 inpatient beds currently used, 1,260 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19,” SCDHEC officials said in a press release Monday.
State health officials said they were waiting until the state reached an 80 percent statewide hospitalization rate to take action and add more beds.
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) announced 1,505 new COVID-19 cases Monday.
The Palmetto State has reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases for 13 days straight. Before June 19, S.C.’s record high was 987.
South Carolina has already recorded more positive COVID-19 cases in the first six days of July (9,488) than it did in March and April combined (6,171).
The recent surge is not due to the state’s expanded testing efforts. South Carolina ranks 35th in the nation when it comes to testing per 100,000 residents, according to data from The Covid Tracking Project.
South Carolina has also reported one of the most highest percent positive of COVID-19 tests in the nation.
The percentage of positive cases per tests has also been ticking upward —another alarming sign that COVID-19 isn’t anywhere near contained in South Carolina.
“The total number of individuals tested yesterday statewide was 7,990 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 18.8%,” SCDHEC said Monday.
For most of May, the number of daily percent positive cases was less than 5 percent.
Greenville County — the largest county in South Carolina with a population of 451,225 — is the state’s epicenter for coronavirus with 6,010 cases.
Just three weeks ago, Greenville County had 3,011 total reported cases.
The state reported six new coronavirus deaths on Monday.
“Five of the confirmed deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Beaufort (1), Chesterfield (1), Darlington (1), and Dillon (2) counties, and one of the deaths occurred in a middle-aged individual from Horry County (1),” SCDHEC said.
So far in July, South Carolina has averaged 14 deaths per day, which is up from June and May’s averages at 8 deaths per day.
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