5 COVID-19 cases announced in Beaufort Co. as SC reports low numbers of infections, tests
Only five new COVID-19 cases were announced in Beaufort County on Wednesday. One probable case was also recorded.
State health officials also reported no additional deaths in the county.
Statewide, just 197 new infections were confirmed Wednesday, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
That’s the lowest daily total in months. DHEC said the low number of cases is due to a “temporary” delay of reporting electronic lab results, as the agency works to improve a database.
Since mid-August, Beaufort County has seen fewer daily cases. And DHEC 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. On Tuesday, for example, only 49 viral tests in the county were reported to DHEC.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC’s interim director of public health, has urged state residents to get tested even if they have mild symptoms or think they just have allergies.
“I can’t speak to each person’s reason for not getting tested,” Traxler told reporters in August when asked about the decline.
Some experts now 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.
Jasper County, meanwhile, was designated as having “high” recent disease activity late last week, according to DHEC.
That’s partly because 16.9% of COVID-19 tests in the county had returned positive over the course of two weeks.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Tuesday: 49
Average percent of positive viral tests in the past week: 8.6%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 17
Total cases: 5,633 confirmed
Total deaths: 80 confirmed
Two-week incidence rate: 170.7 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 Tuesday: 15.7%
New cases announced Wednesday: 197
Total cases: 143,623 confirmed
New deaths announced Wednesday: 21
Total deaths: 3,186 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,386 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,102 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 347 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, 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.
