South Carolina surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Monday.
The milestone came on a day when the state reported less than 1,000 new cases daily for the first time in almost two months. The number is the lowest reported by the Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC since mid-June.
“This is just a report on how Southern Carolinians are behaving,” said Michael Schmidt, a research microbiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina.
He said the lower numbers indicate that people have followed safety measures for wearing masks and social detachment.
Although Schmidt is encouraged by the numbers, it is important not to be arrogant, he said.
He said the day “718 cases is still very high.” The percentage of positive test results, which was 12.8% on Monday, is also very high and, ideally, should be well below 5%. Schmidt expects South Carolina to look at ways of rapid daily testing so that results can return in minutes, rather than days or weeks.
“We cannot desperately let our guard down,” he said.
Also on Monday, DHEC warned South Carolina residents to beware of scammers posing as contact trackers. Official contact trackers will call individuals who test positive for COVID-19, asking what people and places the person has visited recently. Anyone who has had close contact with that person will also be contacted.
DHEC said that a legitimate contact tracker will never ask for an individual’s Social Security number or immigration status, or ask about a person’s money, bank account or credit card number.
With the decrease in cases reported daily, Tidelands Health began limited visitation for most patients on Monday. It will allow an adult support partner per hospitalized patient at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital, Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital.
COVID-19 isolation patients will not be able to receive visitors.
State figures
Number of new cases reported: 718
Total number of cases in SC: 100,431, plus 728 probable cases
Number of new deaths reported: 17
Total number of deaths in SC: 1,966, plus 83 probable deaths
Number of hospitalized patients: 1,353
Percentage of tests that were positive: 12.8 percent
Total number of tests in SC: 849,117
Which areas are most affected?
Greenville County led the state in new cases on Monday, with 85 positive tests. Richland County registered 61 and Charleston County registered 53.
What’s happening in the three counties?
In addition to the 53 new cases counted in Charleston County on Monday, Berkeley reported 28 new cases and Dorchester reported 22.
Deaths
Of the 17 new confirmed deaths, four were between 35 and 64 years old and 13 were 65 or older.
The deceased resided in the counties of Berkeley, Charleston, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lancaster, Oconee, Orangeburg and Richland.
Hospitalizations
DHEC reported that 1,353 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized on Monday. Of these, 217 were on ventilators. The agency also reported that 360 ICU beds were currently being used by patients with coronavirus.
How many cases were found in long-term care facilities?
There were 5,607 confirmed cases of coronavirus in nursing homes and assisted living facilities: 3,613 residents and 1,994 employees, according to DHEC data. This is a 7% increase in cases compared to the previous report.
So far, 762 residents have died from the virus, a 21% mortality rate. Thirteen workers also died. Together, they account for about 39 percent of deaths in the state, the data released on Friday show.
A nursing home, Sandpiper Rehab / Nursing, a residential care institution in Mount Pleasant, had 27 deaths from COVID-19. Lexington Medical Center Extended Care had 24 deaths.
The virus was found in 332 installations.
What do the experts say?
The authorities continue to recommend basic precautions to slow the spread of the coronavirus: social distance, wearing a mask in public, avoiding group meetings, washing your hands regularly and staying home when you are sick.
Cleve O’Quinn contributed to this report.
Talk to Fleming Smith at 843-937-5591. Follow her on Twitter at @MFlemingSmith.