69 new COVID cases reported in Beaufort County Wednesday; Publix to offer more vaccines
Sixty-nine new COVID-19 cases were reported in Beaufort County on Wednesday, as Publix announced it was going to open registrations up Thursday for more coronavirus vaccinations at 24 South Carolina pharmacies.
No deaths were announced in the county Wednesday.
The area reported a surge of cases throughout December and January, mirroring other spots around South Carolina and the rest of the country. Hundreds of cases were recorded every 24 hours, shattering the previous single-day record on Jan. 8. Deaths quickly mounted.
The seven-day average of new cases, though, has dropped in recent days. It was 91.5 as of Wednesday. The average had hit roughly 113 on Jan. 14.
Jasper County, meanwhile, reported 11 new coronavirus infections, one probable case and no deaths Wednesday.
Vaccines are slowly being distributed to local health care workers, senior citizens, and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.
Publix announced in a news release Wednesday that 24 of its pharmacies in South Carolina will get another batch of COVID-19 vaccines this week.
The chain’s online appointment system is expected to open for new registrations at 6 a.m. Thursday. Vaccinations would then begin Saturday. The system can be found at: www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
Several Publix pharmacies in Beaufort and Jasper counties received Moderna doses late last month. Publix on Wednesday said some of its S.C. pharmacies included in the last round of distribution may not get doses this time, but it does expect both Beaufort and Jasper county locations to receive some of its upcoming allocation.
Vaccine data
Beaufort Memorial Hospital as of Tuesday had utilized 116% of 5,825 first Pfizer-BioNTech doses received. That’s because some Pfizer vials have contained six or even seven doses, but DHEC calculates its utilization rates based on the assumption that each vial contains five doses, which was the original expectation late last year. The hospital has used 43% of 3,050 second doses.
Hilton Head Hospital had utilized 131% of 2,225 first doses. The hospital also had used 25% of 1,975 second doses as of Tuesday.
Coastal Carolina Hospital as of Tuesday had used 111% of 2,805 first doses. The hospital had utilized 15% of 1,425 second doses.
Pfizer’s vaccine uses a recommended two-dose regimen. The second shot is scheduled three weeks after the first.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Monday (the most recent date for which data is available): 429
Average percentage of positive tests in the past week, as of Monday: 12.8%
DHEC on Tuesday announced that it was changing the way in which it calculates the daily percentage of positive tests to be more easily compared with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other entities.
“With the change, the public will notice a big drop in the number representing percent positive. That does not mean the level of spread in the community has decreased,” DHEC wrote in a Tuesday news release.
Officials on Wednesday said they are planning to release more information clarifying how exactly the two formulas are different and why the percent positive has dropped so significantly due to the change.
For context, the daily statewide percent positive reported Monday was 21.5%.
Total cases: 12,758 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 147 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Monday: 674.1 cases per 100,000 people, a “high” rate under DHEC’s definition. 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 previously said counties should aim to have a two-week incidence rate of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people.
Statewide numbers
Percentage of positive non-antibody tests reported Monday: 16.1%
New cases announced Wednesday: 1,762
Total cases: 402,361 confirmed
New deaths announced Wednesday: 64
Total deaths: 6,663 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 3,668 cases in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 1,930 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 963 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,684 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has reported 969 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.
