10 new coronavirus cases reported in Beaufort County on Sunday, no deaths
South Carolina health officials reported 10 new cases of coronavirus in Beaufort County on Sunday but no new deaths in the county attributed to COVID-19.
An additional 420 cases and 13 deaths were reported statewide, according to a S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control release.
Three deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Beaufort County on Friday, and another probable death on Saturday.
The area has seen fewer positive coronavirus cases since mid-August.
But the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the area has also dropped. And some experts warn of a possible surge of cases this fall as schools resume face-to-face classes.
Candace Bruder, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District, on Friday confirmed that dozens of district athletes from two schools were in quarantine after two people tested positive for COVID-19.
Local numbers
- Number of viral test results reported Saturday: 163
- Percent of positive viral tests in the past week: 12.2%
- Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 25.7
- Two-week incidence rate: 173.3 cases per 100,000 people, regarded as a “moderate” rate
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, has 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 Saturday: 9.2%
- New cases announced Sunday: 420
- Total cases: 134,494
- New deaths announced Sunday: 13
- Total deaths: 3,028
Experts fear a possible surge of new infections this fall as schools resume in-person classes. At the University of South Carolina, hundreds of students have already been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,290 cases so far this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,047 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 330 cases. The 29926 ZIP code covering the north side has 634 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 bit.ly/BeaufortCountyZIP. Click on “Go to Cases,” then click on Beaufort County on the S.C. map.
What are DHEC’s recommendations?
State health officials say residents should continue to practice social distancing and wear a mask in public. Those who are out in public regularly and around other people or who can’t wear a mask and social distance should be tested monthly, the state health agency recommends.
“Recently, our (case) numbers have been slowly trending downward,” said Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC’s top epidemiologist, in late August. “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.
