Coronavirus

11 new coronavirus cases reported in Beaufort Co. Thursday; 232 more vaccinations

Another 232 Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials reported Thursday.

The county’s daily average of new first-dose vaccinations has continued to drop this week.

About 46.8% 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 53.1% of that group 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.

Eleven new coronavirus cases and two probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Thursday. No new deaths were announced.

Jasper County announced two cases and no deaths Thursday.

Local numbers

  • COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Tuesday (the most recent date for which data are available): 4,689 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fifth-highest rate in South Carolina.

  • Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 409 per day

  • Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 73,309

  • Total number of doses administered: 101,157

  • New first-dose vaccinations announced Thursday: 232

  • Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 46.8%

Statewide numbers

  • New first-dose vaccinations announced Thursday: 9,436

  • Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,644,458

  • Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 40%

  • Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 27.6%

ZIP code data

Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 17,042 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 12,568 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.

Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 12,448 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 9,871 vaccinations, according to DHEC.

Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 5,163 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: 14,770 confirmed, according to DHEC

  • Total deaths: 190 confirmed, according to DHEC

  • Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Tuesday: 64 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.

This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 2:59 PM.

Sam Ogozalek
The Island Packet
Sam Ogozalek is a reporter at The Island Packet covering COVID-19 recovery efforts. He also is a Report for America corps member. He recently graduated from Syracuse University and has written for the Tampa Bay Times, The Buffalo News and the Naples Daily News.
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