Only 354 new COVID-19 vaccinations reported in Beaufort Co. Tuesday; 11 cases confirmed
Only 354 new coronavirus vaccinations were reported among Beaufort County residents on Tuesday, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, though, reports its vaccine data on a two-day lag.
A federal official recently said that Tuesdays are typically the lowest reporting day of the week for new doses administered nationwide. The Tuesday data capture doses given over the weekend.
About 36.9% of county residents who are 15 or older have now received a dose, according to DHEC, and 63% of residents have yet to get a shot.
Local vaccine providers have been moving quickly through weekly shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses, state data show.
Coronavirus spread, meanwhile, remains low after a winter surge, though health experts are concerned that the United States could soon face a fourth wave of infections.
DHEC data show that daily case counts in South Carolina began to plateau about two weeks ago.
Eleven new COVID-19 cases and three probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Tuesday. No new deaths were announced.
Jasper County recorded one case, one probable infection and no deaths Tuesday.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Sunday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,699 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: 57,824
Total number of doses administered: 75,731
New first-dose vaccinations announced Tuesday: 354
Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 1,072 per day
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 36.9%
Biggest vaccinator: Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which has administered 18,188 first Pfizer-BioNTech doses since mid-December
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Tuesday: 8,418
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,251,307
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 30.4%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 16.4%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 now leads the county with 12,739 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 11,977 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county (though that may be an overcount).
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 9,693 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 7,976 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,974 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 4,478 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,187 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 1,179 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,989 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,150 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 12.7 per day
Total cases: 14,565 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 187 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Sunday: 107.2 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.
