State health officials decided Friday to release ages and gender of COVID-19 cases by zip code.
The Chronicle had asked the Department of Health & Environmental Control to release specific information for the public welfare.
Dr. Linda Bell of DHEC said at the governor’s Friday afternoon health briefing that this information will be available on their website Friday night.
DHEC said earlier that it could not release the data due to a state privacy law.
Gov. Henry McMaster ordered DHEC to release the data, according to WLTX.
Dr. Bell said health officials had been concerned people might mistake the data to believe their zip code was safe from virus.
 She cautioned people not to be misled by the data. 
If your zip code shows low case numbers, that does not mean you are safer.
The numbers are only of those who have tested positive for the corona virus. 
DHEC doesn’t know how many untested but infected people are out there.
She said DHEC is convinced many  are infected but have not been tested.
Laura Renwick of DHEC said Section 44-4-560 of the Emergency Health Powers Act “speaks to our ability to share information. 
“Knowing the age and gender of each individual doesn’t help the public take any additional actions to protect themselves from this virus and isn’t necessary to provide in order to protect public health.”
The section of state law cited can be read in full at https://law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/2012/title-44/chapter-4/section-44-4-560/
The Chronicle responded that we believe disclosure is important to our readers and the public.
Our readers are not children who must be protected by DHEC from ugly truths.
On advice of counsel, we believe it is in the public interest for DHEC to reveal where confirmed COVID-19 cases cases are by community and/or zip code, the number confirmed in each and the age and gender of those infected or deceased, The Chronicle wrote.
Renwick replied, “We need to assume every individual could have the virus and take the recommended precautions.”
DHEC has been under pressure from 1st responders and lawmakers for fuller disclosure of the virus.
DHEC released the number of positive cases by ZIP code with at least 1 case.
A day later officials replaced that with a list that just shows all ZIP codes with at least 1 case, WBTW-TV in Florence reported.