68 new COVID-19 cases in Beaufort Co. Tuesday as SC confirms over 2,300 infections
State health officials on Tuesday reported 68 new COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County.
No new deaths were announced.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was also delivered to 12 additional locations Tuesday across South Carolina. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control did not name those sites.
The Medical University of South Carolina was among those that began administering doses Tuesday, according to the hospital system. Lexington Medical Center was also set to begin inoculations at 3 p.m.
It’s still unclear when medical centers will receive the vaccine in Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Russell Baxley, CEO of Beaufort Memorial Hospital, in a statement Monday wrote that the hospital was expecting doses soon.
DHEC has refused to name providers in its vaccine distribution network or the locations of initial vaccine sites. Some hospitals have confirmed those details themselves.
The Lowcountry, meanwhile, has reported an uptick in disease spread this month, mirroring other spots around South Carolina.
Daily case counts in Beaufort County are regularly back to early-August levels, although Sunday’s report was similar to infection numbers from July. The county’s seven-day average of new infections spiked to 75.4 as of Tuesday, marking the highest average since the summer.
In early October, that average had dropped into the low teens.
Coronavirus cases are now rising across the entire Palmetto State, DHEC data show.
Experts have warned S.C. residents to follow public health guidelines during the holiday season, fearing rapid transmission of the novel virus in poorly ventilated buildings.
Jasper County also reported 18 new cases and no fatalities Tuesday.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Sunday (most recent date that data is available): 408
Average percentage of positive viral tests in the past week, as of Sunday: 19.1%
Seven-day average of new cases in Beaufort County: 75.4
Total cases: 7,991 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 94 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Sunday: 484 cases per 100,000 people, “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, has 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 Sunday: 19.9%
New cases announced Tuesday: 2,303
Total cases: 239,119 confirmed
New deaths announced Tuesday: 4
Total deaths: 4,402 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 2,093 cases this year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,375 cases since March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 558 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 954 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has reported 540 cases.
Coronavirus infections at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island are included 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.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 3:00 PM.
