16 new coronavirus cases reported in Beaufort County on Friday; 279 more vaccinations
Another 279 Beaufort County residents received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials reported Friday.
The county’s daily average of new first-dose vaccinations has steadily dropped this week.
Just more than 47% of county residents who are 15 or older have now received a shot, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
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.
Sixteen new coronavirus cases and seven probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Friday. No new deaths were announced.
Jasper County announced five new cases and no deaths Friday.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Friday: 4,707 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fifth-highest rate in South Carolina.
Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 361 per day
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 73,588
Total number of doses administered: 102,472
New first-dose vaccinations announced Friday: 279
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 47.06%
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Thursday: 10,277
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,644,735
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 40.3%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 28.2%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 17,133 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 12,599 resident inoculations, the second-highest in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 12,486 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 9,899 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 5,181 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 eight
Total cases: 14,787 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 190 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Tuesday: 66.1 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.
