Another thirty-four people in the state of Palmetto died of COVID-19. The total number of deaths confirmed by the virus has exceeded 6,000.
On February 8, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,510 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 while testing measures continue across the state.
Medical University of South Carolina will offer quick tests in the Charleston International Airport daily parking lot, from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm from February 9th to 11th.
More than 5 million tests have been carried out in South Carolina since the pandemic began. DHEC said 7 percent of the 31,266 tests reported on February 8 were positive.
State figures
New cases reported: 1,510.
Total cases in SC: 414,573 confirmed, 53,830 probable.
New reported deaths: 34 confirmed, 83 likely.
Total deaths in SC: 6,881 confirmed, 809 probable.
Percentage of ICU beds occupied: 75.5 percent.
How does SC rank in vaccines administered by 100,000 people? February 40. 7, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most affected areas
The three counties with the highest level of cases for their populations are Pickens and Greenville in the interior of the state and Dillon in Pee Dee, according to DHEC.
What about the tri-county?
Charleston County had 121 new cases on February 8, while Berkeley counted 49 and Dorchester, 52.
Deaths
Thirty of the 34 new confirmed deaths reported on February 8 were from patients aged 65 and over, and the remainder were between 35 and 64 years old.
Hospitalizations
Of the 1,517 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on February 8, 354 were in the ICU and 211 were using ventilators.
What do the experts say?
The CDC encourages people to continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, stand 1.8 m away from others and avoid poorly ventilated spaces. Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC’s chief epidemiologist, said that now is not the time to relax these preventive measures.
It is recommended that people living in the community get tested for COVID-19 once a month or earlier if they develop symptoms or live with someone who is positive for the virus.
DHEC’s COVID-19 test sites are available throughout the state. Visit scdhec.gov/FindATest to find a location nearby.
