12 coronavirus cases reported in Beaufort Co. as DHEC releases vaccine distribution plan
Twelve new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Beaufort County on Friday.
No additional deaths were announced.
State officials on Friday also released a plan detailing how the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control plans to distribute a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine whenever it’s available.
The vaccine’s supply will be limited at first. Because of that, front-line medical workers and nursing home residents will be initially prioritized, among other groups, according to DHEC.
“COVID-19 vaccine supply is expected to increase substantially and be more widely available to the public in 2021,” DHEC said Friday.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last month said most Americans likely won’t have access to a vaccine until the “late second quarter, third quarter of 2021.”
Several vaccine candidates are currently in large-scale Phase 3 trials.
Since mid-August, Beaufort County has seen fewer daily cases. But some experts fear a possible surge of infections as cooler weather sets in, flu season begins and kids return to school for face-to-face instruction.
States around the Midwest have logged record-high case counts in recent days and infections are rising around the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The University of South Carolina Beaufort, meanwhile, logged two new COVID-19 cases this week among students, faculty or staff, school data show.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Thursday: 287
Average percent of positive viral tests in the past week: 4%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 12.1
Total cases: 5,871 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 86 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week incidence rate: 111.4 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.
Statewide numbers
Percent of positive non-antibody tests reported Thursday: 11.5%
New cases announced Friday: 897
Total cases: 155,799 confirmed
New deaths announced Friday: 5
Total deaths: 3,405 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 1,459 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,136 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 362 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 691 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.
People who are active in the community or those who can’t effectively social distance or wear a mask should be tested for COVID-19 monthly, according to DHEC.
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.
