1 new COVID-19 death reported in Beaufort County Sunday; 59 new cases

The COVID-19 related death an elderly Beaufort County residents were reported Sunday by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The individual died Saturday, the DHEC data shows. The department does not release any other specific information about the death.

Since the pandemic started, 56 people in Beaufort County have died of COVID-19, according to data from DHEC and the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office. That number includes 28 deaths recorded in July — the deadliest month for the disease in the county.

Six deaths have been reported so far in August in Beaufort County.

South Carolina has had 1,949 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began, including 18 confirmed on Sunday. Six of the individuals were described as middle aged and 12 were described as elderly.

DHEC identifies anyone under the age of 18 as pediatric; between the ages of 18 and 34 as a young adult; 35 to 64 as middle aged; and 65 or older as elderly. No other identifying information, such as exact age or gender, is released by the agency.

South Carolina has recorded a total of 99,713 cases of the novel coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

Beaufort County had 59 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, for a total of 4,095 cases since March.

The Bluffton ZIP code of 29910 continued to lead the county with 1,036 cases.

Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new daily coronavirus cases was 69 Sunday.

The highest average since the pandemic started was recorded on July 31 at 98.

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

The county had 301 cases or more per 100,000 people, reported between July 21 and Aug. 3, DHEC reports.

The state agency also reported that the county was seeing an increase in incidence rates for the past two weeks compared to the previous two-week period.

Twelve percent of the 7,853 COVID-19 tests completed statewide Saturday were positive, DHEC says.

Seventy-eight percent of inpatient hospital beds are occupied, as of Sunday. Covid-19 patient occupy 1,378 of the 8,157 beds.

Of the 1,585 ventilators statewide, 547 are in use and 219 of those are COVID-19 patients.

Cases by ZIP code

Here is the breakdown of confirmed coronavirus cases in Beaufort County ZIP codes:

• 748 positive in Beaufort (29902)
• 418 positive northwest of Beaufort (29906)
• 196 positive east of Beaufort (29907)
• 200 positive in Okatie (29909)
• 1,036 positive in Bluffton (29910)
• 3 positive on Daufuskie Island (29915)
• 182 positive on St. Helena Island (29920)
• 503 positive on Hilton Head Island (29926)
• 221 positive on Hilton Head (29928)
• 70 positive in Port Royal (29935)
• 310 positive in Ridgeland (29936)
• 244 positive in Hardeeville (29927)
• 92 positive in Seabrook (29940)
• 4 positive in Sheldon (29941)
• 91 positive in Yemassee (29945)

Beaufort County could have as many as 25,155 undiagnosed cases, DHEC officials say.

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, up to nine people could be infected but have not been tested.

The total count includes anyone who has tested positive since the pandemic started. The data also includes those who have recovered or died.

DHEC’s totals can have small increases and decreases day to day as officials correct discrepancies in the data.

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 that people who die from the coronavirus might have had.

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.