CDC updates mask guidance for Beaufort Co. due to ‘low’ COVID-19 risk. Here’s what to do
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COVID-19 in the Lowcountry
Here’s the latest on the omicron variant surge, COVID-19 guidance and more in the Lowcountry.
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Federal health officials say it’s now safe for Beaufort County residents to ditch their face masks in public indoor spaces, citing new COVID-19 guidance unveiled last week.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it was easing its county-level recommendations for coronavirus precautions, shifting to a strategy that is less focused on completely eliminating COVID-19’s spread. The new guidance is instead aimed at preventing health-care systems from being overwhelmed by the pathogen.
Under the new guidance, Beaufort County as of Thursday had a low level of COVID-19 risk, which means the CDC is not recommending that people wear face coverings in public. (Beaufort County on Thursday was one of only five counties in South Carolina, including Jasper County, listed in the CDC’s low-risk category.)
Under the federal government’s old guidance, Beaufort County on Monday would have been listed as having a high level of coronavirus transmission, and CDC officials would have urged both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear masks in restaurants and grocery stores, among other public places.
The new CDC guidance relies on mathematical calculations that focus on COVID-19 hospitalizations more than case trends. The formulas can be found online: bit.ly/CDCPandemicGuidance
The CDC has essentially made its masking recommendations less strict and is attempting to establish some level of normalcy in parts of the country that have maintained mask rules in recent months.
The federal government, like many states, is changing its approach to battling COVID-19, acknowledging that the coronavirus is expected to become endemic, circulating regularly from year to year like the flu.
The shift comes as new case counts continue to drop nationwide, including in South Carolina and Beaufort County, since the super-contagious omicron variant first cut through the population in January and became the nation’s dominant coronavirus strain.
“To truly achieve an endemic with COVID-19 and get out of the pandemic response, we need all South Carolinians to act responsibly,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, the state’s director of public health, during a recent briefing with reporters. “With cases and hospitalizations on the decline, and testing and vaccines readily available, now is the opportune time to come together and finish this job.”
Beaufort County, as of Friday, was averaging 26 newly confirmed coronavirus infections per day, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
A month ago, that average was 270 cases per day.
The CDC is continuing to urge county residents to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations and get tested if exhibiting symptoms.
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 12:09 PM.
