‘Need for testing is huge’: York County cases climb by more than 70, 2 patients die
A day after the York County Council voted against a county-wide face mask requirement, health officials announced that two more elderly residents have died after contracting the virus.
One of the individuals died on Saturday and the other died on Sunday, according to Department of Health and Environmental Control officials.
There now have been 16 coronavirus-related deaths in York County, according to DHEC. The agency also announced that 74 more people in the county have tested positive for the virus. York County now has 2,506 cases, according to DHEC.
Across the state, DHEC identified 1,870 new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total reported infections to 73,101. Officials also reported that an additional 56 South Carolinians have died as a result of the virus, including the two York County residents. The state’s death toll is now 1,203.
North Central Medical Center staff tested more than 500 people Tuesday at a free testing site at the Kenneth Monroe Transformation Center in Rock Hill, said Ernest Brown, CEO of the medical facility.
The center had 17 staff members on hand for testing, including two doctors and two physicians assistants, Brown said.
“We wanted this to be the best, most efficient site it could be because the need for testing out here in the community is huge,” Brown said.
The site was coordinated through DHEC in an attempt to serve a part of the community that may not have had opportunities to get tested, Brown said. Test results are expected to be available in two to five days, Brown said.
York County’s high number of positive cases in recent weeks show a need for as much testing as possible, Brown said. The site served people from York, Chester and Lancaster counties Tuesday, Brown said.
Another free testing day is being planned for August, Brown said.
“Our goal is to serve people who need testing during this pandemic,” Brown said.
Chester County
The county added 11 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, for a total of 377 since the pandemic started.
Chester County Councilman Brad Jordan said the council did not discuss any countywide mask mandate at its meeting Monday night.
However, Jordan said several council members have discussed in recent weeks concerns related to lack of mask usage in the community. Jordan said he has seen a good number of people out in the community, at grocery stores, who do not wear masks in public.
“it amazes me to see so many people out here who are not wearing a mask even if it is not required,” Jordan said. “The mask is to protect others and be a good neighbor. It is not an infringement on my rights or the rights of anyone else to wear a mask during these times of this pandemic.”
Chester County still has not opened most of its county services to the public, and now requires county employees inside and outside county buildings to wear a mask. That decision was made for employee and public safety, Jordan said.
Lancaster County
Lancaster County added 22 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, which is one of its highest case totals reported in recent days, according to DHEC. The county has had a total of 780 confirmed cases, according to DHEC.
Lancaster County Administrator Steve Willis said county officials are watching numbers as cases rise in other parts of the state, including bordering counties in York County and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina.
Lancaster has not seen a spike or surge of over 100 cases in a single day as York County has had twice in the past two weeks, but officials remain concerned and have not reopened any further government offices or facilities.
Unlike York County, Lancaster County Council has not met to discuss or consider a countywide mask mandate for its residents. The council met Monday night but did not discuss any coronavirus mask requirement, Willis said.
“Our council has not had any push to talk further about a mask requirement,” Willis said Tuesday.
About 10 percent of all Lancaster County cases so far can be traced to a nursing facility.
Lancaster Health and Rehabilitation has had 73 cases reported among staff and residents, according to a statement on the facility’s website. Of those 73 cases, 47 residents and 26 staff members tested positive, the health facility said in the statement.
Testing and hospitalizations
The percentage of tests that come back positive — another indicator of the coronavirus’ spread — has been rising over the last month, according to DHEC officials.
On Monday, 8,490 tests were conducted statewide, with about 22% having positive results, DHEC reported. In May, at its lowest point, the percentage of positive tests ranged from 2% to 4% on average.
Since March, labs across the state have completed 648,663 tests.
Free testing will also be available at Edinport Elementary School in Rock Hill from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday. S.C. Rep. Gary Simrill and S.C. Sen. Wes Climer organized the drive-up site in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina.
South Carolina has seen a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients nearly every day in July. Of the 9,598 beds in use across the state on Tuesday, 1,593 were occupied by coronavirus patients or those who are suspected of having COVID-19.
In all, hospitals across the state are at about 84% capacity, according to DHEC.
Hospitals in York County are at 79% capacity, with 244 of the 288 beds currently in use, according to DHEC. And Lancaster County hospitals are at about 47% capacity, with 70 of 149 beds currently in use.
Cases by ZIP code
As of Monday night, there are cases in the following ZIP codes:
York County
▪ 29704 - 35
▪ 29708 - 269
▪ 29710 - 292
▪ 29715 - 297
▪ 29717 - 10
▪ 29730 - 567
▪ 29732 - 599
▪ 29745 - 261
Lancaster County
▪ 29058 - 27
▪ 29067 - 69
▪ 29707 - 167
▪ 29720 - 528
Chester County
▪ 29014 - 27
▪ 29055 - 57
▪ 29706 - 202
▪ 29712 - 19
▪ 29714 - 41
This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 4:10 PM.
