COVID-19 death reported in Beaufort Co. days after DHEC warns of ‘high’ disease activity
Another Beaufort County resident has died due to COVID-19.
State health officials on Wednesday announced that a 35- to 64-year-old person in the county died Sept. 5 after contracting the coronavirus.
Nine new COVID-19 cases were also reported in the county Wednesday.
Since mid-August, the area has seen fewer daily cases. But the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the county has also dropped. And the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Monday reclassified the county as having “high” recent disease spread.
That announcement came a day before local public schools began the academic year with online-only classes.
DHEC, meanwhile, also started to release data last week on COVID-19 cases among students and staff at the state’s schools.
On Tuesday, DHEC reported less than five coronavirus cases associated with the Lowcountry Montessori School in Beaufort and May River High School in Bluffton. The health agency cautioned that the newly reported cases don’t necessarily mean that students contracted the pathogen at a school building.
Local numbers
Viral and antibody tests results reported Tuesday: 43
Percent of positive viral tests last week: 16.2%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 26.2
Total cases: 4,986 confirmed
Total deaths: 71 confirmed
Two-week incidence rate: 204.6 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 Tuesday: 14.3%
New cases announced Wednesday: 250
Total cases: 124,097 confirmed
New deaths announced Wednesday: 29
Total deaths: 2,800 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,220 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 980 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 280 cases. The 29926 ZIP code covering the north side has 592 cases, according to DHEC data.
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.
“Recently, our (case) numbers have been slowly trending downward,” said Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s top epidemiologist, late 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.
