SCDHEC investigating 6 more cases of COVID-19, including one in Lexington Co.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Saturday that it is investigating six additional cases of COVID-19.

This brings the total number of coroanvirus cases to 19 in the state.

One of the new cases is from Lexington Co. where the patient is currently hospitalized and isolated. The patient was a resident of Lexington Medical Center Extended Care Skilled Nursing Facility. The source of exposure is being investigated.

Lexington Medical Center sent the following statement to all of its employees Saturday:

On Friday evening, we learned from SC DHEC that one of our Extended Care residents has been diagnosed with presumptive positive COVID-19. This resident had been transferred to the hospital this week.

Our first priority is the safety of our patients, employees and visitors. Since our notification, we have been working closely with DHEC and have been given clear direction on what actions and procedures to immediately put in place to protect our Extended Care residents and staff from further exposure.

We also have procedures and processes in place on our main campus, specifically in our Emergency department and our inpatients units, to ensure these employees are not at risk of exposure.

We are assessing which Extended Care staff members were involved in the care of the resident. These employees are being contacted directly and instructed to follow the recommendations of DHEC and the CDC. We are also closely monitoring our residents at Extended Care for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

We want to assure the entire Extended Care family that they have the support of the entire LMC team and DHEC to help us continue to provide excellent care for our residents. We will continue to keep you informed and provide you with the most up-to-date resources on Lexie.

Thank you for your cooperation, teamwork and commitment.

“We are working closely with this extended care facility to immediately investigate possible exposures in an effort to mitigate any potential spread at this facility,” said Dr. Linda Bell with DHEC. “The facility is completely cooperative as we work through our contact investigation and staff are abiding by DHEC’s and CDC’s recommended actions for helping to protect this higher-risk population.”

Three of the other cases come from Beaufort County. Two of the cases had known exposure to a confirmed case of coronavirus from another state. The other case had no known contact but has recently traveled internationally. All three patients are isolated at home.

Two new cases are from Kershaw County, and have no identified source of exposure. The patients are hospitalized and isolated.

For more information on current COVID-19 cases in the state, click here.