DHEC announces two more deaths related to COVID-19, 32 additional cases
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– On Thursday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced two additional deaths related to coronavirus.
DHEC say this brings the state’s total number of deaths to nine.
DHEC State Epidemiologist, Dr. Linda Bell, addressed the cases in Governor Henry McMaster’s Thursday briefing.
According to health officials, one patient was an elderly person from Kershaw County who had underlying health conditions, the second patient was an elderly person from Sumter County who also had underlying health conditions.
DHEC says it is also investigating 32 additional cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number statewide to 456 cases in 39 counties.
Health officials say the fluctuation in the number of new cases from day to day reflects the availability of the reagents, or chemicals, needed for laboratories to perform the testing. There is currently a shortage of these reagents nationwide, including in South Carolina, which can lead to delays in test results, says DHEC.
The number of new cases by county are listed below.
- Abbeville County: 1 case
- Aiken County: 2 cases
- Anderson County: 2 cases
- Beaufort County: 3 cases
- Berkeley County: 3 cases
- Charleston County: 8 cases
- Fairfield County: 1 case
- Georgetown County: 1 case
- Greenville County: 1 case
- Horry County: 1 case
- Jasper County: 1 case
- Kershaw County: 1 case
- Lancaster County: 1 case
- Lexington County: 2 cases
- Orangeburg County: 2 cases
- Richland County: 1 case
- York County: 1 case
Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to their 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.
