SC health officials reported Lexington County had 109 confirmed new cases Friday.

It was the 1st time in weeks the county had more than Columbia and Richland County.

Neither county lost a life, but Columbia had 98 new cases.

Stepped up testing is finding more new cases.

As of Thursday, 370,794 tests have been conducted in the state.

The total tested Thursday statewide was 6,969 not including antibody tests.

The percent tested  positive was 18.3%.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 1,273 new cases, 2 new probable cases and 1 more death. 

This brings the total confirmed cases to 30,263, probable cases to 72, confirmed deaths to 694, and probable deaths to 2.

The confirmed death occurred in an elderly individual from Greenville County.

New confirmed cases by county are Abbeville (1), Aiken (11), Anderson (16), Bamberg (2), Barnwell (2), Beaufort (30), Berkeley (40), Charleston (216), Cherokee (5), Chester (2), Chesterfield (6), Clarendon (17), Colleton (11), Darlington (10), Dillon (7), Dorchester (20), Florence (19), Georgetown (65), Greenville (187), Greenwood (3), Horry (82), Jasper (8), Kershaw (21), Lancaster (9), Laurens (28), Lee (8), Lexington (109), Marion (1), Marlboro (6), Newberry (7), Oconee (19), Orangeburg (29), Pickens (28), Richland (98), Saluda (3), Spartanburg (57), Sumter (42), Union (2), Williamsburg (6), York (40)

As of this morning, 2,579 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,885 are in use, a 75.35% hospital bed use rate.

Of the 7,885 inpatient beds in use, 906 are occupied by covid patients.