37 new coronavirus cases recorded in Beaufort Co. Tuesday; schools announce quarantines
Thirty-seven new coronavirus cases were recorded in Beaufort County on Tuesday.
No additional deaths were announced by state health officials for the county.
Since mid-August, Beaufort County has seen fewer daily cases. And the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday again classified the county as having “medium” recent disease activity.
But the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the area has also dropped. And some experts fear a possible surge of cases this fall as schools resume face-to-face classes.
The Beaufort County School District plans to begin in-person classes starting Oct. 5.
Two Bluffton high schools also reported large quarantines Tuesday due to close contact among people infected with the coronavirus.
At Bluffton High School, all 38 members of the junior varsity football team were quarantined after playing against an infected person at Colleton County High School on Thursday.
At May River High School, “approximately 50” band members are quarantining after two people associated with the band tested positive for COVID-19.
Four district high schools have reported quarantining roughly 200 students in total over the past month.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Monday: 200
Average percent of positive viral tests in the past week: 8.1%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 17.8
Total cases: 5,629 confirmed
Total deaths: 80 confirmed
Two-week incidence rate: 179.6 cases per 100,000 people, “moderate”
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 Monday: 13.2%
New cases announced Tuesday: 527
Total cases: 143,495 confirmed
New deaths announced Tuesday: 22
Total deaths: 3,173 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,384 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,099 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 346 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 658 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.
