COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, Oct. 16, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 1,072 new confirmed cases and 95 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 11 additional confirmed deaths and 3 new probable deaths.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 154,869, probable cases to 6,237, confirmed deaths to 3,400, and 207 probable deaths.

Who Should Get Tested?
If you are out and about in the community, around others, or not able to socially distance or wear a mask, we recommend that you get tested at least once a month.

Routine testing allows public health workers to diagnose those who are asymptomatic and interrupt the ongoing spread of the virus. Learn more about who should get tested here.

426 Testing Opportunities Available Statewide
Testing for COVID-19 is essential because it helps identify people who are infected with the virus, whether they have symptoms or not.

DHEC is working with community partners to set up mobile testing clinics and make testing available in communities across the state. Currently, there are 129 mobile testing events scheduled through December 2 and there are 297 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state. Find a testing clinic or event near you at scdhec.gov/covid19testing.

Testing in South Carolina
As of yesterday, a total of 1,697,156 tests have been conducted in the state. See a detailed breakdown of tests in South Carolina on the Data and Projections webpage. DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory is operating extended hours and is testing specimens seven days a week, and the Public Health Laboratory’s current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.

Percent Positive
The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday statewide was 8,459 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 12.7%.

Hospital Bed Occupancy
Hospitals report their information each day to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by way of TeleTracking, and that same reporting is also provided to DHEC. Click here to view data from today’s TeleTracking report.

COVID-19 Information
For the latest information related to COVID-19 visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19. Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources from the S.C. Department of Mental Health.

*As new information is provided to DHEC, some changes in previously reported data may occur. DHEC’s COVID-19 online data will adjust to reflect any new information in order to have the data and information be as current and accurate as possible at any given time.