DHEC reports 212 new cases Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - On Wednesday, the South Carolina Department for Health and Environmental Control reported 212 total cases (148 confirmed, 64 probable), along with 30 deaths (21 confirmed, 9 probable).

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department for Health and Environmental Control reported 126 total cases (91 confirmed, 35 probable), along with 35 deaths (31 confirmed, 4 probable).

On Monday, the South Carolina Department for Health and Environmental Control reported 219 total cases (178 confirmed, 41 probable), along with 76 deaths (70 confirmed, 6 probable).

On Sunday, the South Carolina Department for Health and Environmental Control reported 295 total cases (208 confirmed, 87 probable), along with 143 deaths (133 confirmed, 10 probable).

On Saturday, the South Carolina Department for Health and Environmental Control reported 330 total cases (225 confirmed, 105 probable), along with 10 deaths (10 confirmed, 0 probable).

****NOTE: DHEC will stop reporting daily CASE counts on March 15.

The difference between confirmed and probable cases is based on the type of test a person receives. Probable cases are treated as confirmed cases by doctors, DHEC says.

Still wondering what the difference is? Click here.

DHEC is no longer giving a date of death for these reports, claiming it violates the privacy of the deceased because of the decrease of COVID-19 deaths across the state.

The agency has also stopped sharing the age range of those who have died from COVID-19 each day, but they are putting out weekly reports with that information on Tuesdays.

Click or tap here to see the latest weekly death report, including counties and age ranges, for Nov. 28 to Dec. 4.

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Hospitalizations in the state were also spiking, with dozens of new people getting hospitalized with COVID-19 each day.

“While deaths due to COVID-19 are declining because of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines that are available, cases and hospitalizations are currently rising in South Carolina, as in many other states, because large numbers of the population remain unvaccinated,” DHEC officials wrote on the agency’s website. “We urge all South Carolinians to protect themselves and others by getting their COVID-19 vaccines if they haven’t already. Vaccines are how we end the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all.”

A recent DHEC data review suggests people who are not fully vaccinated account for nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccines are readily available across the state.

COVID-19 VACCINES

Everyone over the age of 5 in South Carolina is currently eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Get more details and make an appointment by clicking or tapping here.

As of March 6, DHEC reported that of vaccine-eligible South Carolina residents:

NOTE: The percent of vaccinated people in the state has DECREASED due to the 5-11 age group being added to the population.

• 62.4% have received at least one vaccine
• 53.6% are fully vaccinated
• 19.5% of children have at least one dose

COVID-19 TESTING

DHEC encourages everyone who is out and about in the community to get tested routinely, at least each month.

Find testing locations by clicking or tapping here.

COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS

As of Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says 76.14% of inpatient beds in South Carolina are in use while 69.52% of ICU beds are in use.

There are 376 hospitalized patients who have COVID-19 which makes up 3.59% of inpatient beds in use for COVID-19, HHS reported. Of those patients, 71 are in the ICU. HHS is reporting that 5.87% of ICU beds are in use for COVID-19.

NOTE: DHEC is now only updating its hospitalization dashboard once a week, which is why WIS is now relying on HHS data for a daily report on hospitalizations. Ventilator numbers will be updated weekly, on Tuesdays.

Click here for more information on hospital bed occupancy by county.

For information on nursing homes and long-term care facilities impacted by the virus, click or tap here.

Click here for more information on cases, hospitalizations and deaths among the not fully vaccinated

TRACKING MIS-C AND VIRUS VARIANTS

DHEC has a dashboard that shows the number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 in South Carolina.

It also shows how many cases of different variants have been found in the state, by type.

As of September 22, there have been 1,576 reported cases of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 in South Carolina. However, health officials say there are likely far more delta variant cases in the state. DHEC only sends a random sample of positive tests to scan for variants.

KEY INDICATORS OF COVID-19 IN SC

Below is DHEC’s Key Indicators dashboard. It’s meant to give an “at-a-glance view” of important data points used to measure the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

It shows trends in cases, testing, deaths, hospitalizations, and more.

DHEC says all of these factors need to be considered when evaluating the spread of COVID-19 in South Carolina.

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