156 new cases of COVID-19, and 4 additional deaths in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Health officials have announced 156 new cases of COVID-19 and 4 more deaths in South Carolina.

Today’s update brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in the state to 10,788, and those who have died to 470, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Deaths reported on Thursday occurred in 4 elderly individuals from Chesterfield, Fairfield, Greenville, and York counties.

As of Wednesday, a total of 187,788 total tests have been conducted in the state by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs. The total number of tests performed Wednesday statewide was 5,994 and the percent positive was 2.6%.

During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Gov. McMaster said the state’s knowledge of the virus has changed since the beginning of the pandemic with state health officials having a better understanding of the virus and those who are most at risk.

“Those that most at risk are the elderly, those in rural areas, those in poorer areas of the state and minority communities,” McMaster said. ”And when you have combinations of those with underlying chronic conditions, that is where most of the fatalities are resulting.”

The governor said the increase in positive cases was something that was expected, but said that the 28-day average of cases was going down.

“And that’s a good sign and that gives us confidence that we’re on the right track,” McMaster said.

The following is a breakdown provided by DHEC of total positive cases and total deaths in Lowcountry counties.

DHEC officials say they report positive cases and deaths based on county of residence as that information is provided, and that information could fluctuate if the case or death was found later to be from another area.

“Sometimes, during follow-up investigations, it’s determined an individual was the resident of another county or a different state,” state health officials said. “Our map is updated to reflect these changes.”

The number of new cases reported on Thursday, May 28 by county are listed below:

Abbeville (2), Aiken (4), Anderson (3), Barnwell (1), Beaufort (5), Berkeley (3), Charleston (4), Chesterfield (2), Clarendon (1), Darlington (2), Dorchester (1), Edgefield (2), Florence (10), Greenville (20), Greenwood (17), Hampton (2), Horry (3), Kershaw (4), Laurens (3), Lee (2), Lancaster (2), Lexington (8), Marlboro (4), Newberry (2), Oconee (1), Orangeburg (1), Pickens (2), Richland (26), Saluda (2), Spartanburg (6), Sumter (2), Williamsburg (1), Union (1), York (7)

State health officials are continuing to provide information on how South Carolinians can protect themselves against exposure to the virus including staying home if sick and minimizing contact with people outside their households. Other steps the public should take include:

• Practicing social distancing
• Wearing a mask while out in public
• Avoiding touching frequently touched items
• Regularly washing your hands
• Monitoring for symptoms

Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to a healthcare provider or use the telehealth services provided by several health care systems. For telehealth options and the latest information about DHEC’s COVID-19 response efforts, please visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19. Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources from the S.C. Department of Mental Health.

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