1 coronavirus death announced in Beaufort Co. Wednesday; 1,400+ residents vaccinated
Another 1,438 Beaufort County residents have started COVID-19 vaccination, state health officials reported Wednesday
A coronavirus-related death was also announced in the county Wednesday.
A person described as elderly died Monday after contracting the coronavirus, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
COVID-19 deaths have slowed in Beaufort County following a holiday surge of infections.
DHEC on Wednesday also published a list of several vaccine clinics statewide that had immediate vaccine appointment openings, including a walk-in event at an old Columbia Walmart.
That list can be found online here: https://twitter.com/scdhec
Local vaccine providers have been moving quickly through weekly shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses, state data show. Some Johnson & Johnson doses have also been distributed at area pharmacies.
Local coronavirus spread, meanwhile, remains low after the winter surge, data show.
Thirteen new COVID-19 cases and 13 probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Wednesday.
Jasper County recorded one case and no deaths Wednesday.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Monday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,311 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fourth-highest rate in South Carolina, though it could be inflated to some degree due to a ZIP code-level data issue.
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 51,757
Total number of doses administered: 65,860
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 1,438
Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 939 per day
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 33.1%
Biggest vaccinator: Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which has administered 16,272 first Pfizer-BioNTech doses since mid-December
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 28,015
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,111,013
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 27.1%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 14.5%
ZIP code data
Okatie’s ZIP code of 29909, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, continues to lead the county with 11,361 resident vaccinations since late last year, though that may be an overcount, according to DHEC data. Bluffton’s 29910 ZIP code has recorded 10,910 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 8,750 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 7,309 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,521 inoculations.
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 ZIP code data.
More information on ZIP code-level vaccine 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 4,440 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,181 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 1,175 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,976 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: 14 per day
Total cases: 14,483 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 186 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Monday: 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.
