Beaufort County surpasses 2,000 COVID-19 cases, with 34 new cases reported Monday
Thirty-four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Beaufort County Monday, bringing the total to 2,015 since the pandemic began, according to data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
As of Monday, the Bluffton ZIP code of 29910 continued to lead the county with 566 cases.
South Carolina has recorded 58,003 cases of the novel coronavirus and 961 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began.
The state reported 13 new confirmed COVID-19 deaths in adults Monday in the state.
Twelve of the people who died were elderly; one was middle aged.
No new deaths were reported for Beaufort County Monday.
This month, the county has seen three deaths from COVID-19. Seven were reported in June.
Since the pandemic began in March, 24 COVID-19 related deaths have been connected to the county, according the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new daily coronavirus cases was 72 Monday.
The county’s lowest seven-day average for new cases was zero on May 9.
DHEC reported Beaufort County as one of 24 counties with the highest incidence rates in the state. Health officials reported that the 24 counties each had 301 cases or more per 100,000 people reported between June 23 and July 6.
The state agency also reported that every county in the state but two — Calhoun and Marlboro — were seeing an increase in incidence rates for the past two weeks compared to the previous two-week period.
About 72% of hospital beds statewide were in use Monday. About 1,488 of the 7,692 beds were occupied by patients who either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.
DHEC data shows 67% of the beds in Beaufort County hospitals, and 57% in Jasper County, were in use. DHEC does not provide a county-by-county breakdown of how hospital beds are being used.
Twenty-one percent of 7,230 COVID-19 tests completed statewide Monday were positive, DHEC says.
Cases by ZIP code
Here is the breakdown of confirmed coronavirus cases in Beaufort County ZIP codes:
381 positive in Beaufort (29902)
190 positive northwest of Beaufort (29906)
95 positive east of Beaufort (29907)
107 positive in Okatie (29909)
566 positive in Bluffton (29910)
One positive on Daufuskie Island (29915)
76 positive on St. Helena Island (29920)
282 positive on Hilton Head Island (29926)
137 positive on Hilton Head (29928)
33 positive in Port Royal (29935)
119 positive in Ridgeland (29936)
142 positive in Hardeeville (29927)
29 positive in Seabrook (29940)
One positive in Sheldon (29941)
37 positive in Yemassee (29945)
Beaufort County could have as many as 12,378 undiagnosed cases, DHEC officials say.
DHEC does not provide an overall, county-by-county number of cases versus the number of people who have recovered. It also does not release any identifying information or specifics concerning underlying conditions someone who dies from the coronavirus might have had.
Positive cases are those in which a patient has been tested for and diagnosed with coronavirus. Because of a lack of access to testing, state health officials have said that for every confirmed case, there could be up to nine people who are infected but have not been tested.
DHEC’s totals can have small increases and decreases day to day as officials find discrepancies in the data.
The total count of cases includes anyone who has tested positive since the pandemic started. The data also includes those who have recovered or died.
DHEC counts deaths based on where the patient lives rather than where he or she died.
Coronavirus cases at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island are being reported in the 29902 ZIP code.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 3:05 PM.