New COVID-19 cases in South Carolina surged to 4,673 on Wednesday despite incomplete data reporting amid a nationwide surge of the fast-spreading respiratory virus.

State health officials reported 4,673 new confirmed cases and 96 probable cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, along with 42 additional confirmed deaths and nine probable deaths. Officials noted the data was incomplete for a third day because of a technical problem they were working with a vendor to correct.

Wednesday's announcement represents the test results and deaths reported to the state on Monday.

Greenwood County added 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Laurens County recorded 96, Abbeville County saw 22, Saluda County logged 12 and McCormick County had 10.

This brings South Carolina's number of confirmed cases to 332,990, probable cases to 32,388, confirmed deaths to 5,402 and probable deaths to 509.

More than 80% of hospital beds are filled across the state, with 2,466 (26.5%) of those patients being treated for COVID-19. Of those, 475 patients are in ICU and 277 are on ventilators.

A confirmed case is an individual who had a confirmatory viral test performed by way of a throat or nose swab and that specimen tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19, DHEC reports. A positive viral test, also called a PCR test or molecular test, alone is enough to classify a confirmed case.

DHEC reports a probable case is an individual who has not had a confirmatory viral test performed but has:

1. epidemiologic evidence and clinical evidence of infection, or

2. a positive antigen test and either epidemiologic evidence or clinical evidence.

A confirmed death is said to be someone whose death is related to COVID-19 and who tested positive with a confirmatory viral test for COVID-19.

A probable death classification refers to an individual whose death certificate lists COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death but did not undergo confirmatory viral testing.

Cumulative confirmed case totals for Greenwood and surrounding counties are:

Abbeville — 1,256 (21 deaths)

Edgefield — 1,622 (19 deaths)

Greenwood — 4,797 (95 deaths)

Laurens — 4,282 (93 deaths)

McCormick — 503 (7 deaths)

Newberry — 2,898 (66 deaths)

Saluda — 1,055 (25 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, DHEC recommends 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: scdhec.gov/covid19/who-should-get-tested-covid-19.

Testing in South Carolina

As of Monday, 4,119,470 tests had been conducted in the state. The total number of individual test results reported Monday to DHEC was 17,245 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 27.1%.