274 new cases and five new deaths

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 274 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including five additional deaths.
This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 3,065, and those who have died to 72.
The additional deaths occurred in three middle-aged individuals with underlying health conditions who were residents of Berkley, Florence, and Greenville counties. There were two deaths that occurred in elderly patients with underlying health conditions who were residents of Greenville County.
The number of new cases by county are listed below.
Aiken (6), Allendale (2), Anderson (4), Barnwell (1), Beaufort (2), Berkeley (6), Charleston (15), Cherokee (3), Chester (1), Chesterfield (1), Clarendon (5), Darlington (2), Dillion (2), Dorchester (7), Edgefield (4) Fairfield (1), Florence (11), Georgetown (3), Greenville (54), Greenwood (1), Hampton (1), Horry (18), Kershaw (7), Lancaster (10), Laurens (2), Lee (3), Lexington (23), Marlboro (1), Newberry (2), Orangeburg (2), Pickens (5), Richland (35), Spartanburg (11), Sumter (16), Union (1), Williamsburg (1), York (5).
One county (Saluda) lost a case from its total counts as the individual was determined during case investigations to be a resident of another county.

Testing in South Carolina
As of April 9, DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory has conducted 9,489 tests for COVID-19. Of these tests, 1,125 positive and 8,364 were negative. A total of 28,183 total tests by both DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory and private labs have been conducted in the state. DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory is operating extended hours and is testing specimens seven days a week. The Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.
Hospital Bed Capacity
As of this morning, 5,545 hospital beds are available and 6,173 are utilized, which is a 52.7% statewide hospital bed utilization rate.
How South Carolinians Can Protect Themselves
South Carolinians are encouraged to stay home and minimize contact with people outside their households to prevent the spread of the disease. Other steps the public should take include:
• Monitoring for symptoms
• Practicing social distancing
• Avoiding touching frequently touched items
• Regularly washing your hands
Anyone with concerns about their health should reach out to their healthcare provider or use the telehealth services provided by several health care systems.
For telehealth options and the latest information about DHEC’s COVID-19 response efforts, please visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19. Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources from the S.C. Department of Mental Health.