26 new COVID-19 cases reported in Beaufort County Monday; 4,121 total

Beaufort County had 26 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, for a total of 4,121 cases since March, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The Bluffton ZIP code of 29910 continued to lead the county with 1,044 cases.

South Carolina has recorded 100,431 cases of the novel coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

No new deaths were reported in Beaufort County Monday.

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 county’s deadliest month for the disease.

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

South Carolina has had 1,966 confirmed deaths since the pandemic began, including 17 confirmed on Monday. Four of the individuals were described as middle aged, and 13 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.

Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new daily coronavirus cases was 65 Monday.

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 5,610 COVID-19 tests completed statewide Sunday were positive, DHEC says.

Seventy-six percent of inpatient hospital beds are occupied, as of Monday. Covid-19 patient occupy 1,353 of the 7,958 beds.

Of the 1,539 ventilators statewide, 487 are in use and 217 of those are COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 patients also are occupying 360 of the 1,059 intensive care unit beds.

Beaufort County could have as many as 25,315 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.