There are now 424 South Carolinians diagnosed with COVID-19-- that's up from 342 cases reported Tuesday.
The South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control Wednesday afternoon announced the following details on the 82 new cases:
- Abbeville County: 2 cases
- Anderson County: 3 cases
- Beaufort County: 4 cases
- Berkeley County: 1 case
- Charleston County: 16 cases
- Chesterfield County: 2 cases
- Dorchester County: 1 case
- Fairfield County: 1 case
- Greenville County: 11 cases
- Horry County: 1 case
- Kershaw County: 5 cases
- Marion County: 1 case
- Orangeburg County: 1 case
- Pickens County: 5 cases
- Richland County: 14 cases
- Spartanburg County: 5 cases
- Sumter County: 2 cases
- Union County: 1 case
- Williamsburg County: 1 case
- York County: 7 cases
There are seven deaths in the state so far, DHEC says. Thirty-nine counties are reporting positive cases.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Tracking coronavirus cases in and around South Carolina
“As the number of cases and community spread expectedly increase in our state, we reiterate the importance of taking daily prevention practices to protect yourself and your community,” said Dr. Jonathan Knoche, DHEC physician. “We all have the responsibility to protect ourselves, our families, friends and community.”
As part of the department’s daily update to its COVID-19 webpage, current aggregate data for positive cases is available. Aggregate data provided by DHEC now includes projections: DHEC's data projects 2,657 cumulative cases by April 2 and 8,053 cases by May 2, however, projected data is estimated and may change significantly due to various factors.
Individuals with signs of illness are asked to stay at home and not attend public gatherings. South Carolinians are encouraged to monitor for symptoms, practice social distancing, avoid touching frequently touched items (like doorknobs and handrails), and regularly wash their hands, especially after being in a public place.
“While we reiterate the importance of taking daily precautions to prevent spread, we want to make sure South Carolinians are also taking steps to address the feelings of stress and anxiety that arise in this type of prolonged situation,” said. Dr. Knoche. “Our partners at the Department of Mental Health have resources available to help, and we continue to provide guidance for coping with stress on DHEC’s COVID-19 webpage.”
South Carolina state health officials will now be reporting COVID-19 cases by ZIP code, after a request from the South Carolina Association of Counties. That practice will begin on Monday.
Editor's Note: Two previously reported cases, one in Lexington County and one in Lancaster County, have been subtracted from the total case count as those individuals were determined, through further investigation, to reside out of state. DHEC reports positive cases based on an individual’s county of residence.