<strong>By Mike McCombs</strong>

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported its 500th death as a result of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 on Monday.

DHEC reported 297 new cases, including four in Beaufort County, and six deaths. There have now been 12,148 confirmed cases in the state.

But the numbers are beginning to tick upward.

On May 25, roughly the two-week mark since Gov. Henry McMaster began to re-open the state by allowing dine-in services at restaurants, Beaufort County had zero new cases and the state had just 90, the lowest number since April 20.

But in the seven days since, there have been 1,976 new confirmed cases in the state, or roughly one sixth of all the confirmed cases since testing began in S.C., including 420 on Saturday after a Sunday adjustment by DHEC.

There have now been 385 confirmed cases, according to DHEC, in Beaufort County, along with 14 deaths. The last two came May 27, according to the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.