197 more Beaufort Co. residents vaccinated against COVID-19; 6 new cases Wednesday
State health officials on Wednesday reported that only 197 more Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The average number of daily first-dose vaccinations recorded in the county has continued to drop this week.
About 46.7% of county residents who are 15 or older have now received a shot, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, and 53.2% of residents have yet to get a dose.
Coronavirus spread, meanwhile, remains low after a winter spike, though health experts are concerned that the United States could face a fourth wave of infections.
Six new coronavirus cases and five probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Wednesday. No new deaths were announced.
Jasper County recorded one infection, two probable cases 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): 4,674 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fifth-highest rate in South Carolina.
Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 440 per day
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 73,077
Total number of doses administered: 100,315
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 197
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 46.7%
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 6,877
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,635,022
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 39.8%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 27.1%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 16,980 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 12,546 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 12,416 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 9,846 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 5,135 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
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: roughly seven per day
Total cases: 14,759 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 190 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Monday: 63 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.
