York County reports 3 new coronavirus cases as total tops 160, SC health officials say
Three new cases of coronavirus were reported in York County Tuesday. Chester and Lancaster counties did not report any new cases, South Carolina health officials said.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 172 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, across the state, for a total of 4,608 positive tests in all 46 counties.
Since the pandemic started, there have been 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in York County, according to DHEC. Lancaster County has had 79 cases and Chester County has had 25, according to DHEC.
DHEC also announced Tuesday that 11 other individuals have died Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Based on DHEC’s count, there have been 135 coronavirus-related deaths in South Carolina.
Three residents in York County and three residents in Lancaster County have died after contracting the virus, according to DHEC. Chester County has not reported any deaths.
On Tuesday, DHEC officials estimated that about 72% of patients in the state who tested positive for the coronavirus have recovered.
Darren Player, Lancaster County Emergency Management Director, said officials were thrilled no new cases were announced for Lancaster on Tuesday. But Player urged the public to continue to exercise safety first and adhere to state of emergency restrictions.
It is almost assured that Lancaster County will have more cases, Player said.
“It’s really important that as we hear good news, that we understand there will still be more cases as time moves forward,” Player said. “It’s also extremely important everyone remain vigilant and careful as they are out doing essential tasks. Social distancing is very important to continue.”
As of Tuesday, more than 42,000 coronavirus tests had been completed by DHEC’s public lab and private labs in the state, and roughly 11% of tests have come back positive, according to the department.
At a news conference Monday, State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell referenced a new graph released a few days ago from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which showed deaths from the virus in South Carolina peaked on April 9. The projections “indicate that the curve may have begun to level for us here in South Carolina,” Bell said.
Bell said DHEC still projects the state could see up to 750 new cases per week through early May, and a total of 6,953 cases by May 9.
“Modeling projections and data trends vary and they can still change very quickly,” Bell said. “And we recognize the need to be very, very cautious in relaxing preventive measures so that we don’t see rebound disease activity.”
Based on projections released Tuesday, DHEC calculated that there are up to 995 unidentified cases in York County. The department estimated Lancaster County has as many as 485 unidentified cases and Chester County has up to 154 unidentified cases.
According to its website, DHEC calculates projected cases based on evidence that for every known case, there could be up to nine unidentified people with the virus.
Confirmed cases by ZIP codes
As of Monday night, there are cases in the following York County ZIP codes:
- 29704 - 1
- 29708 - 16
- 29710 - 29
- 29715 - 28
- 29717 - 2
- 29730 - 27
- 29732 - 46
- 29745 - 10
There are cases in the following Lancaster County ZIP codes:
- 29058 - 4
- 29067 - 6
- 29707 - 16
- 29720 - 56
There are cases in the following Chester County ZIP codes:
- 29014 - 2
- 29055 - 5
- 29706 - 12
- 29712 - 1
- 29714 - 5
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
