Starting this month, South Carolina will reduce the number of public COVID-19 testing sites and end the daily reporting of cases.
The decision to close testing sites was made last month by the SC Department of Health and Environment Control due to declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and the availability of at-home testing kits. Since testing sites are closing, DHEC will not have access to daily COVID-19 reports.
DHEC will begin closing public testing sites in counties with five or more private PCR COVID-19 testing sites on March 1 and counties with two to four private testing sites on March 15. Public testing sites will not be closed in counties where the agency is the lone provider of testing or where there are one to two private testing sites.
Due to the closure of public testing sites, daily case reporting will end by March 15.
“DHEC is actively closing a number of testing sites and will stop daily case reporting this month. At the Winthrop Coliseum, DHEC will soon end funding but supports the continuation of this community testing site,” George W. Hynd, Interim President, said in an email to the campus on March 7.
“As a result, testing contractor Genetworx will shift to requesting insurance information for testing beginning March 15 that will cover testing for COVID-like symptoms and being a close contact, but not for surveillance. Genetworx will continue to offer testing for individuals who are uninsured.”
With this change, other COVID-19 guidelines, such as those for events, are changing as well.
The Charleston Bridge Run 10K, which draws more than 40,000 runners and walkers each year to Charleston, has removed its COVID-19 guidelines prior to the event on April 2 after reviewing the CDC’s and DHEC’s guidance and discussing with their medical team.
DHEC will still track the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and related deaths.
