16 new COVID cases confirmed in Beaufort Co. Tuesday as SC expands vaccine eligibility
Sixteen new coronavirus cases were recorded in Beaufort County on Tuesday as the governor announced COVID-19 vaccine eligibility would be expanding next week to include a much broader swath of South Carolina’s population.
One probable COVID-19 case was recorded, too. No new coronavirus deaths were confirmed. Jasper County recorded two new cases and one probable death, of a middle-aged person on Feb. 22.
On March 8, the state will start Phase 1b of its vaccine rollout, which has been expanded to include all people ages 55 and older; teachers, correctional officers and other frontline workers with occupational risk; and people ages 16 to 64 with preexisting conditions, Gov. Henry McMaster announced at a joint press conference with the state health director and state schools chief.
Residents and staff in group home settings, homeless shelters and community training homes and migrant farmworkers who live in shared housing will all be eligible for the vaccine starting March 8, McMaster said. This week, South Carolina will receive its first allotment of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization Saturday.
Over the last month, vaccine distribution has sped up in South Carolina, and COVID-19 case rates have dropped. The promising developments followed a wave of cases across the state and country in December and January.
The seven-day average of new cases was 33 as of Tuesday. The average had hit roughly 113 on Jan. 14.
Between Feb. 15 and 28, the Beaufort County School District reported 61 students and 18 staff members had COVID-19, spokesperson Candace Bruder said Tuesday.
The district has surpassed 850 coronavirus cases recorded since Sept. 28, but active case numbers are steadily decreasing, along with the number of active quarantines the district has reported weekly since Jan. 25.
From Feb. 20 to 26, the district had between 605 and 653 students quarantining and between 34 and 79 staff quarantining.
Vaccine data
Beaufort Memorial Hospital as of Monday had utilized 94% of 12,318 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 130% of 5,975 second doses.
Hilton Head Hospital had utilized 105% of 3,827 first doses. The hospital also had used 118% of 2,820 second doses as of Monday. Coastal Carolina Hospital had used 94% of 4,815 first doses. The hospital had utilized 99% of 3,452 second doses.
Pfizer’s vaccine uses a recommended two-dose regimen. The second shot is typically scheduled for three weeks after the first.
Local numbers
Viral test results reported Sunday (the most recent day for which data is available): 602
Average percentage of positive tests in the past week, as of Sunday: 5.5%
Total cases: 14,086 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 174 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Sunday: 261.3 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 Sunday: 4.6%
New cases announced Tuesday: 496
Total cases: 445,523 confirmed
New deaths announced Tuesday: 13
Total deaths: 7,606 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 4,242 cases in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 2,113 cases since last March, the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 1,131 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,901 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has reported 1,109 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 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.
