38 new coronavirus cases, no deaths announced in Beaufort Co. Saturday
Thirty-eight new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Beaufort County on Saturday.
No COVID-19-related deaths were announced.
Since mid-August, the area has seen fewer daily cases, and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control classified the county as having “medium” recent disease activity on Monday.
But the percentage of positive coronavirus tests in Beaufort County remains high. And experts fear a surge of new infections this fall as schools resume in-person classes.
On Friday, DHEC announced that Beaufort County’s K-12 schools had no COVID-19 cases among students or staff. The agency’s data included the county’s public schools but only two private schools.
Statewide, health officials said there were 158 coronavirus cases in schools as of Friday, 89 of whom were students and 69 of whom were employees.
Public schools in Beaufort County are starting the year Tuesday with online-only classes.
DHEC has also warned of a possible uptick in cases following the long Labor Day weekend.
“We don’t have to completely close down and completely change our lifestyle, but there are ways we can do these things much, much more safely than we have for the previous holidays,” said Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s top epidemiologist, in late August.
Local numbers
Viral and antibody tests results reported Friday: 250
Percent of positive viral tests for the week ending Saturday: 15.5%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 28.4
Total cases: 4,897 confirmed
Total deaths: 69 confirmed
Two-week incidence rate: 213.9 cases per 100,000 people, “moderately high”
An incidence rate measures how quickly a disease is spreading through a given population.
Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina, said counties should aim to have a two-week incidence rate of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people.
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, has suggested that governments reopen only after the percentage of positive tests is below 5% for at least two weeks.
Statewide numbers
Percent of positive non-antibody tests reported Friday: 12.7%
New cases announced Saturday: 918
Total cases: 122,313 confirmed
New deaths announced Saturday: 32
Total deaths: 2,738 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,202 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 953 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Coronavirus infections at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island are being reported in the 29902 ZIP code.
More information on Beaufort County ZIP code data can be found at the following link. Click on it, then click on “Go to Cases,” then click on Beaufort County on the S.C. map: bit.ly/BeaufortCountyZIP
What are DHEC’s recommendations?
State health officials say residents should continue to practice social distancing and should wear a mask in public, especially over the Labor Day weekend.
“Recently, our (case) numbers have been slowly trending downward,” Bell said last month. “For that to continue, we cannot let up.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow South Carolina’s coronavirus data is compiled
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s total COVID-19 case count includes anyone who has tested positive since the pandemic began. The data also include those who have recovered or died.
The state agency does not provide an overall, county-by-county number of cases versus the number of people who have recovered.
DHEC counts deaths based on where a patient lives rather than where they died.
