15 new COVID cases in Beaufort Co. Monday; school district details vaccination plan
Fifteen new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Beaufort County on Monday. Seven probable infections were also reported.
No new deaths were announced in the county Monday.
The area reported a wave of infections throughout December and January, mirroring other spots around South Carolina and the rest of the country. That holiday surge has abated in recent weeks.
Local recovery efforts are in full swing as vaccines are distributed to seniors, essential workers, health care employees and others. Phase 1b of distribution began in Beaufort and Jasper counties Monday.
The Beaufort County School District, meanwhile, late Sunday detailed a partnership with Beaufort Memorial Hospital to vaccinate teachers and other district staff.
District spokesperson Candace Bruder in an email wrote that the hospital had reserved vaccination slots for BCSD employees from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Bruder wrote that the hospital would be emailing BCSD staff “later this week” with instructions on how to sign up for inoculations. Bruder didn’t immediately return a phone message Monday.
Of BCSD’s nearly 3,000 employees, 1,700 in a recent survey said they wanted to get vaccinated once they were eligible. About 77% of the district’s staff responded to the survey.
Courtney McDermott, a spokesperson for the hospital, said that BCSD vaccinations will start next Monday. The medical center is “focused on working down the remaining 1a-eligible residents” this week, McDermott said.
She added that it could take four to six weeks to vaccinate BCSD staff, depending on the supply of doses and how many employees want to get shots at the hospital.
The hospital’s wait list was roughly 10,000 as of last Wednesday.
Publix on Monday also announced that its registration system would open at 7 a.m. Tuesday for additional vaccine appointments: publix.com/covidvaccine
The company is prioritizing teachers, school staff and child care providers at the direction of the federal government, according to a news release. The company wrote that all vaccinators enrolled in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program must do the same.
“After those in the prioritized group are finished making appointments, any remaining appointments will be available to other eligible individuals,” the release read.
Jasper County, meanwhile, reported three new cases and zero deaths Monday.
Vaccine data
Beaufort Memorial Hospital as of Sunday had utilized 83% of 14,153 first Pfizer-BioNTech doses received. The hospital had administered 8,367 second doses.
Hilton Head Hospital had utilized 125% of 3,827 first doses. That’s because some Pfizer vials have contained a sixth or even seventh dose, opposed to five. The hospital also had used 112% of 3,078 second doses as of Sunday.
Coastal Carolina Hospital as of Sunday had used 99% of 4,887 first doses. The hospital had utilized 104% of 3,380 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 Saturday (the most recent date for which data is available): 617
Average percentage of positive tests in the past week, as of Saturday: 5.5%
Total cases: 14,230 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 180 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Saturday: 215 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 Saturday: 3.7%
New cases announced Monday: 562
Total cases: 450,578 confirmed
New deaths announced Monday: 4
Total deaths: 7,748 confirmed
Cases by ZIP code
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 continues to lead the county with 4,316 cases in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code, meanwhile, has recorded 2,137 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 1,143 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,928 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has reported 1,119 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.
