South Carolina registered more than 700 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, a new record, in the middle of a week that destroyed case records and worried state public health officials.
The sustained increase in cases comes more than a month after Governor Henry McMaster began reopening the state after a stay of about two months in the internal order with the aim of slowing the spread of the new coronavirus.
And that happens two weeks after the demonstrators took to the streets en masse, meeting against racism and police brutality after George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police. Authorities deployed anti-riot equipment, tear gas, pepper spray and other measures criticized by public health officials who feared that chemicals could cause greater transmission of the coronavirus, causing protesters who were already gathering in nearby areas to cough, sneeze and cry.
Officials from the Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC reiterated messages earlier this week that urged the public to follow the guidelines for social distance and to wear masks.
McMaster, however, said he does not intend to close the state again, saying that South Carolina’s economy cannot suffer another shutdown and that it was up to each person to look after their health and the well-being of others.
The governor lifted further restrictions on business on Friday, allowing bowling lanes to reopen and ending occupancy limits for retail stores. Some stores had customers waiting in lines outside their doors due to the capacity limits of five customers per 1,000 square feet of retail area or 20 percent occupancy, whichever was less.
Previous restrictions remain in effect for some businesses that attract large crowds, such as theaters, arenas, concert halls and spectator sports.
Number of new cases reported: 770, the first daily cases exceeded 700.
Total number of cases in SC: 17,170
Number of new deaths reported: 5
Total number of deaths in SC: 593
Percentage of positive tests among all people tested in SC: 14.4 percent
Number of people hospitalized: 512
Number of people tested: 272,128
What is happening in the region of the three counties?
The three counties region has recently seen significant growth in the number of new coronavirus cases. On Friday, DHEC reported 54 new cases in Charleston, nine new cases in Berkeley and nine new cases in Dorchester. Lowcountry disease activity remains lower than in other major metropolitan areas in the Midlands and Upstate.
Where are the COVID-19 hotspots in SC?
The largest coronavirus hotspot in South Carolina right now is in Greenville County, where 142 residents tested positive on Friday. Health officials said this week that 31 percent of new cases in Greenville are between the Hispanic and Latino communities, and DHEC has increased its outreach efforts as a result.
While the increases in Greenville far outweigh any other region in South Carolina, Horry, Richland and Charleston counties are also seeing faster-than-normal growth in cases.
How does disease activity compare in SC to other states?
The COVID-19 case rate is lower in South Carolina compared to other states in the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Of these states, Georgia is reporting the highest rate of coronavirus cases.
However, new cases in South Carolina appear to be increasing more rapidly in the past few days than in neighboring states, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In an update on Friday, the university noted that several states – Arizona, California, Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Vermont – were experiencing increasing rates of coronavirus cases and hospitalization, “several weeks after initiating efforts to relax restrictions of social distance.
“Many of these states were not hit particularly hard at the start of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States, but are now exhibiting a growing incidence that corresponds temporally to the decisions of several weeks ago to relax social distance and allow for greater social interaction “, according to the university. “It is still a little early to identify any increase in broadcast related to Memorial Day holiday meetings or protests against racial and social injustice in the United States or other countries.”
MUSC Projections
Earlier this week, data from the University of Medicine of South Carolina showed that the estimated number of active COVID-19 infections in the three counties area exceeded the peak seen in April and that the seven-day average growth rate for new cases increased to about 3.6 percent, substantially above the 0.6 percent growth rate of previous weeks.
According to Michael Sweat, director of the MUSC Global Health Center, if the rate reaches 5%, “you start to have an explosive epidemic happening very quickly”.
A Post and Courier analysis shows that Charleston County’s growth rate on Friday reached 5% for the first time since the initial wave of coronavirus cases in March.
The takeaway?
The disease is still on an upward trend in South Carolina and the recent increase in cases is most likely related to an increase in human mobility. It is unclear when the number of cases will begin to decline in South Carolina, so residents are encouraged to wear masks, practice social detachment and maintain good hand hygiene.
