More than 75 percent of South Carolina's hospital beds are in use, according to a July 8 release from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Statewide, 7,991 hospital beds are occupied, and COVID-19 patients account for 1,404 of them, or 17.6 percent.
In late June, South Carolina National Guard Adjutant General Roy Van McCarty said the state can implement a surge plan if hospital capacity goes above 80 percent, according to WLTX. Gov. Henry McMaster said he would suspend elective surgeries again if needed, and reiterated this sentiment July 8.
"Roughly 40 percent of our cases have come in the last two weeks," Tod Augsburger, president and CEO of West Columbia, S.C.-based Lexington Medical Center, said of the county's COVID-19 cases.
Mr. Augsburger voiced his concern about the hospital's ability to care not only for COVID patients, but also patients with other illnesses. Beds are actually not the main challenge at Lexington Medical Center, Mr. Augsburger added, citing instead potential staffing shortages.
Lexington Medical Center is at 85 percent capacity across its hospital and 80 percent in its intensive care unit, Mr. Augsburger said.
Lexington County is currently at 85 percent bed capacity, while Richland County is at 78 percent hospital bed capacity, according to the latest state health department data.