Over 1K more Beaufort County residents vaccinated against COVID-19, DHEC says Saturday
An additional 1,127 Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of 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 1,140 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, 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.
Seventeen new confirmed COVID-19 cases and fifteen probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Saturday. No new deaths were announced in the county as a result of the virus.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Thursday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,536 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: 55,283
Total number of doses administered: 83,500
New first-dose vaccinations announced Saturday: 1,127
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 35.36%
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: 29,243
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,192,346
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 29.03%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 15.45%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 11,778 resident vaccinations since late last year.
Okatie’s ZIP code of 29909, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has 11,725 vaccinations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 9,308 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 7,697 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,822 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 4,463 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,184 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 1,177 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,986 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,141 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 13.5
Total cases: 14,527 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 187 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Thursday: 102.5 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.
