Need a COVID-19 test? 3 free coronavirus testing clinics set for Beaufort Co. Here’s where

Three new coronavirus testing clinics have been scheduled in Beaufort County over the next two weeks.

All of the events are free, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control:

• A mobile clinic from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Daufuskie Island Fire District building. The Hilton Head Regional Healthcare system is hosting the event alongside DHEC.

• A “pop-up” clinic on Wednesday at Lady’s Island Middle School, scheduled for 7 to 11 a.m. Beaufort Memorial Hospital is listed as the clinic’s provider.

• A drive-thru testing event on Aug. 19 from 7 to 11 a.m. at Bluffton High School. Coastal Carolina Hospital is organizing the clinic.

DHEC reported a surge of coronavirus infections around the Palmetto State in June and July. As of Sunday, more than 99,000 residents in South Carolina have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and over 1,900 people have died, DHEC data show.

Beaufort County, meanwhile, has recorded 4,095 cases since March, according to the state agency. The county logged its highest seven-day average of newly confirmed cases on July 31, with 98. That average had fallen to 69 on Sunday.

Dr. Brannon Traxler, a DHEC physician consultant, said during a conference call with reporters Friday that statewide COVID-19 case counts have started to trend downward in recent days.

“What we are doing is having an impact, and we need to stay the course together,” Traxler said. “That’s why we’re really urging everyone to continue to wear the masks and practice that social distancing.”