Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Feb. 17
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 1,100 new COVID cases reported in SC
At least 1.13 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 14,074 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday, Feb. 17, reported 1,190 new COVID-19 cases and 76 coronavirus-related deaths. There were also 787 probable cases and 38 probable deaths.
The omicron variant accounted for 99.7% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina during the week ending Jan. 22, state health data shows.
At least 1,221 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Feb. 16, including 240 patients being treated in intensive care units and 139 on ventilators. Data shows nearly 13% of hospitalizations in South Carolina are coronavirus-related.
As of Feb. 16, roughly 12% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Almost 54% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 63% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
St. Patrick’s Day parade returns to Hilton Head Island in 2022
Hilton Head Island’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will return this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Sun News.
Parade organizers said the event will take place at 3 p.m. March 13 along Pope Avenue, the outlet reported. This year’s parade is a sign of a return to normalcy, said parade co-chair Alan Perry.
The event itinerary also includes a boat parade on March 12, organizers said.
For more information, read the full story here.
Do masks protect from COVID when others aren’t wearing one?
Some states have begun relaxing face mask mandates as daily COVID-19 cases decline. But public health experts maintain that masks provide a level of protection from the virus in public spaces, even when others choose to be barefaced.
“Wearing a mask when others are not does provide some level of personal protection,” Dr. Leonard J. Marcus, the founding director of the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told McClatchy News in a statement.
“That protection is less than when everyone is wearing a mask,” Marcus added.
His advice was echoed in a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that wearing a face mask or respirator in indoor settings correlated with a lower risk of contracting COVID-19.
Read the full story here.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 7:09 AM with the headline "Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Feb. 17."