New COVID-19 case numbers trending down in Lowcountry Bluffton Today The number of new daily coronavirus cases in the Lowcountry has been on a relative decline since a peak around early January. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control statistics show that a stretch of fewer new cases from mid-August to early November was followed by a steady increase for more than two months. The rise peaked Jan. 6 in Beaufort County, which had a record 268 new cases reported that day. Jasper County also had its highest case count Jan. 6, with 36. New case reports remained high for most of January, with both counties surpassing the previous peaks of last summer.