York County has its highest number yet of reported coronavirus cases, officials say
York County reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases in a single day since the pandemic started, South Carolina health officials announced Tuesday.
Fifteen cases were confirmed, bringing the county’s total to 258 COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health and Environmental Control said in a press release.
York County Emergency Management Director Chuck Haynes said he and other top officials have reached out to DHEC to see what caused the spike in cases.
Gov. Henry McMaster said at a recent press conference DHEC has expanded coronavirus testing with a plan that focuses on checking for COVID-19 in nursing homes, minority communities and rural areas across the state. The agency’s Director of Public Health Dr. Joan Duwve said at the conference, DHEC plans to test 2% of the population, or 110,000 people, in May and June.
York County Council member Joel Hamilton said it is possible positive test results could spike because more people are being tested now than earlier in the pandemic. Hamilton, like other officials, was concerned about the highest number of cases for York County.
Top York County officials said it remains vital that residents know the pandemic has not ended with the opening of restaurants and other businesses, and with more openings to come next week.
The public needs to continue to follow social distancing guidelines, use proper hygiene, and continue to be good neighbors, officials said.
“We need everyone to be smart,” said York County Council Chairman Michael Johnson. “Social distancing, wearing masks in public, and washing your hands haven’t ended. We may have the ability to eat out and go shopping, but people need to think about themselves, their families and others.”
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson reiterated that the coronavirus pandemic is not over in York County, and asked residents to continue to use all precautions even with the opening of restaurants this week and other businesses to come next week.
DHEC also identified 147 new cases of COVID-19 bringing its total to 7,927 cases across all 46 counties.
Lancaster County, which began the first phase of its reopening plan this week, reported four new cases and Chester County did not report any new cases, according to DHEC.
Since the pandemic started, Lancaster County has had 115 cases and Chester County has had 39 cases, according to DHEC.
The agency announced that nine other individuals died across the state. Based on DHEC’s count, there now have been 355 coronavirus-related deaths in South Carolina.
Monday, York County Coroner Sabrina Gast said her office has confirmed eight residents died after testing positive for COVID-19. As of Tuesday, DHEC has reported five coronavirus-related deaths in York County.
Lancaster County has reported five coronavirus-related deaths in the county, and Chester County has not reported any deaths, according to DHEC.
Rock Hill openings
The Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track, the Rock Hill Tennis Center and the Giordana Velodrome reopened Tuesday, according to a press release from the city.
All three facilities will be open during regular hours and people must call ahead to make reservations, the release said.
Testing and projected COVID-19 cases
As of Tuesday, labs across the state have completed more than 93,140 tests and in all, about 9% of tests have come back positive. DHEC projected last week that about 81% of those diagnosed with the virus have recovered.
Based on new DHEC projections, about 1,000 new coronavirus cases are anticipated this week. By May 23, DHEC officials expect a total of 9,652 cases reported in the state.
DHEC calculated that there are up to 1,585 unidentified cases in York County based on projections released Tuesday. The agency estimated Lancaster County has as many as 706 unidentified cases, and Chester County has up to 240 unidentified cases.
According to its website, DHEC calculates the 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 - 2
- 29708 - 25
- 29710 - 35
- 29715 - 37
- 29717 - 2
- 29730 - 54
- 29732 - 81
- 29745 - 15
There are cases in the following Lancaster County ZIP codes:
- 29058 - 4
- 29067 - 12
- 29707 - 24
- 29720 - 82
There are cases in the following Chester County ZIP codes:
- 29014 - 2
- 29055 - 5
- 29706 - 19
- 29712 - 1
- 29714 - 7
