1,650+ Beaufort County residents began their COVID vaccines, Sunday DHEC data shows
Beaufort County recorded more than 1,650 residents on Sunday who newly began vaccination against COVID-19, data published by state health officials showed.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has reported an average of 861 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.
On Saturday, just more than 1 million S.C. residents had begun vaccination statewide, according to totals released.
In Beaufort County, local spread of the coronavirus, meanwhile, continues to slow.
Twenty-five new confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Sunday. One new probable death of an elderly patient on March 16 was announced in the county as a result of the virus.
Jasper County recorded two new confirmed COVID-19 cases and an additional probable one Sunday, but no deaths, according to DHEC.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Friday (the most recent date for which data are available)
: 3,131 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s one of the highest rates in South Carolina, though it could be inflated to some degree.
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 48,951
Total number of doses administered: 64,014
New first-dose vaccinations announced Sunday: 1,653
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 31.31%
Biggest vaccinator: Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which has administered 15,347 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 Sunday: 33,619
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,045,236
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 25.5%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 13.79%
ZIP code data
Okatie’s ZIP code of 29909, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, continues to lead the county with 11,008 resident vaccinations since late last year, though that may be an overcount, according to DHEC data. Bluffton’s 29910 ZIP code has recorded 10,164 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 8,400 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 6,973 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,267 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 4,419 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,179 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 1,171 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,962 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,131 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 13.6
Total cases: 14,451 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 185 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Friday: 108.3 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.
