78 new COVID-19 cases reported in Beaufort County Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,171

Seventy-eight new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Beaufort County Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,171 since the pandemic began, according to data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

As of Wednesday, the Bluffton ZIP code of 29910 continued to lead the county with 602 cases.

South Carolina has recorded 62,071 cases of the novel coronavirus and 984 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began.

No new confirmed deaths were reported for Beaufort County or the state Wednesday.

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 71 Wednesday.

The highest average was recorded on July 12 at 75.

The county’s lowest seven-day average for new cases was zero on May 9.

DHEC reported Beaufort County as one of 32 counties with the highest incidence rates in the state. Health officials reported that the 32 counties each had 301 cases or more per 100,000 people reported between June 30 and July 13.

The state agency also reported that every county in the state but six — Sumter, Malboro, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens and Pickens — 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 Wednesday. About 1,560 of the 7,853 beds were occupied by patients who either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.

DHEC data shows 69% of the beds in Beaufort County hospitals, and 55% 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 8,575 COVID-19 tests completed statewide Tuesday were positive, DHEC says.

Beaufort County could have as many as 13,336 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 15, 2020 at 2:38 PM.