Two more South Carolinians tested presumptive positive for the new coronavirus Thursday after the World Health Organization declared the crisis a pandemic.

The new patients — one in Kershaw County and one in Lancaster County — bring the number of cases in the Palmetto State to a dozen, with six confirmed cases and six presumptive.

A Kershaw County man is hospitalized in isolation, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. The patient is from Camden, where several other cases have cropped up.

The Lancaster County patient is isolated at home, where he contracted the virus through household contact.

Of the positive cases, five were hospitalized as of Wednesday, state officials confirmed.

In addition to the 12 presumptive cases, DHEC has tested 75 others for COVID-19.

As more cases of the disease have been identified, several states have banned large public events and gatherings, but South Carolina officials have not taken such action so far.

Asked why, Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist, said the decision hinges on the number of diseases reported in impacted areas and the types of activities being held.

"We don't compare ourselves to other jurisdictions with what they're doing with regards to local public health decisions," Bell said. "It’s not necessarily the large gathering itself, but it is when a large number of people gather and there’s a possibility there are individuals who are sick."

The state health official said decisions like banning events should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is self-quarantining and working from home after a visit to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., where he could have come into contact with the president of Brazil, who is awaiting test results.

A slew of extra precautions and cancellations came as a 67-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized last week died, making him Georgia's first fatality.

St. Patrick's Day parades were canceled to prevent spread, while Mount Pleasant called off the ArtFest at Towne Centre and and the College of Charleston axed its Charleston Music Fest concert.

Officials at Fort Jackson canceled all basic combat training graduations through April 30 "due to COVID-19 concerns."

.@fortjackson BCT graduations are canceled through April 30 due to COVID-19 concerns. Follow Fort Jackson on Facebook for up-to-date information. @fortjacksoncg #VictoryStartsHere #TRADOC — Fort Jackson (@fortjackson) March 13, 2020

The College of Charleston joined several other universities in suspending all in-person classes for the week following spring break. The University of South Carolina and Winthrop University will also hold classes online for a period following spring break, and are extending spring break itself.

Bob Jones University, a private, evangelical college in Greenville, announced Thursday morning that all of its students would complete classes online for the remainder of the semester. Clemson officials announced earlier this month that it would end all of its ongoing study-abroad programs under way.

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While no public school districts in South Carolina have closed classrooms so far, some parents fear that not enough is being done to manage the spread of the virus proactively.

Charleston County School District announced Thursday that all international field trips are canceled, and that schools will no longer be able to schedule new field trips of any kind. All staff members have been instructed to not schedule any new out-of-state travel. Existing field trips, both in-state and out-of-state are being evaluated.

In order to address the virus, schools have ramped up their cleaning procedures and have advised teachers to emphasize proper hand-washing techniques. Many have also suspended class visits to nursing homes and hospitals as an extra precaution.

Kat Martin, who has a first-grader in the Charleston County School District, said she has decided to keep her son home from school, starting Friday.

“My biggest concern is mostly for the elderly and immunocompromised people in the community,” Martin said. “Our kids are going to be the fastest way to transmit this virus from person to person.”

Health officials have been clear that the new coronavirus poses the greatest threat to the elderly. South Carolina’s long-term care facilities are considering visitation limits to their facilities.

In Charleston, cruise ship activity continued uninterrupted this week. The Carnival Sunshine, which has had its home at Union Pier for about a year, landed about 6 a.m. Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned U.S. citizens, especially those who have underlying health conditions, to not travel by cruise until the threat of the virus subsides. Carnival Corp.'s Princess line and Viking Cruises announced cancellations Thursday morning.

The city has said that it has “no legal authority over cruise ship landings or departures,” but its emergency management team has been in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, which are responsible for monitoring cruise ships coming into and out of the port.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said Thursday the coronavirus situation remains dynamic, with updates coming daily.

"We really are still uncovering the facts so when it comes to making decisions about events ... I almost feel like we're making decisions without having all the evidence that we would like to have just because a lot of the tests haven't been done," Tecklenburg said. "We don't really know the extent of the virus here locally."

Given the information the city has received, the mayor said the city is erring on the side of caution, like recommending two St. Patrick's Day parades be canceled.

Tecklenburg said city services are continuing and that any meetings scheduled for the next few weeks will go ahead as planned.

On Friday, the city will have between 10 and 20 staff members work from home with laptops, telephone and video conferencing, he said.

"We're looking at our own city policies — they weren't as friendly to offsite working a month ago as I would've thought appropriate," Tecklenburg said. "We're making some of those changes and some private businesses are doing the same thing, and we think that's very positive."

For those told to be tested, the Medical University of South Carolina is offering drive-thru sample collection for those who have coronavirus-like symptoms. To enter the testing site at the Citadel Mall campus, outside the MUSC Health West Ashley Medical Pavilion, individuals must have a testing order and scheduled appointment through MUSC's virtual urgent care platform. The samples will be sent to an approved laboratory for testing, which costs $280.

Staff writers Mary Katherine Wildeman, Jenna Schiferl, Fleming Smith, Emily Williams, Mikaela Porter and Gregory Yee contributed to this report.