403 more Beaufort County residents vaccinated against COVID-19, DHEC says Saturday
An additional 403 Beaufort County residents have begun vaccination against COVID-19, data published by state health officials showed on Saturday.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has reported an average of 865 residents per day have received vaccinations in the past week figures are available, though the numbers are released publicly on a two-day delay.
The county has one of the highest vaccination rates per 10,000 residents in South Carolina, according to DHEC. That rate may be slightly inflated due to a ZIP code-level data issue, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette previously reported.
Regardless, Beaufort County vaccine providers have been moving quickly through weekly shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses, state data show.
Statewide, just over 1 million S.C. residents have begun vaccination, according to totals released Saturday.
In Beaufort County, local spread of the coronavirus, meanwhile, continues to slow.
Eleven new confirmed COVID-19 cases and four probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Saturday. No new deaths were announced in the county as a result of the virus.
Jasper County recorded no new confirmed COVID-19 cases or deaths on Saturday, but one new probable case has been identified, DHEC said.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Thursday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,025 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fourth-highest rate in South Carolina, though it could be inflated to some degree.
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 47,298
Total number of doses administered: 62,007
New first-dose vaccinations announced Saturday: 403
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 30.25%
Biggest vaccinator: Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which has administered 15,105 first Pfizer doses since mid-December
DHEC releases most of its coronavirus vaccine data based on residency. If a Beaufort County resident is vaccinated out of state or in a different S.C. county, they would still be counted in DHEC’s Beaufort County-specific data.
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Saturday: 13,396
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,011,617
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 24.6%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 13.5%
ZIP code data
Okatie’s ZIP code of 29909, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, continues to lead the county with 10,823 resident vaccinations since late last year, though that may be an overcount, according to DHEC data. Bluffton’s 29910 ZIP code has recorded 9,727 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 8,084 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 6,694 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,167 inoculations.
More information on ZIP code-level vaccination data can be found at the following link online: http://bit.ly/BeaufortCountyVaccines
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910, meanwhile, continues to lead the county with 4,409 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,177 cases since March 2020, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 1,168 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,955 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,130 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 11.6
Total cases: 14,424 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 185 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Thursday: 104.1 cases per 100,000 people, a “moderate” 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 in Charleston, has previously said counties should aim to have a two-week incidence rate of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we covered this story
Facts about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in South Carolina are changing rapidly. The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette are trying to publish important information as quickly and accurately as possible. This story may be updated if more information becomes available or if facts become clearer.
