COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on April 19
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases surpass 476,000
At least 476,123 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 8,235 have died since March 2020, according to state data.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Monday reported 518 new COVID-19 cases, down from 577 reported the day before.
Thirteen coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
At least 505 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, with 135 patients in the ICU.
As of Monday, 4.4% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower indicates a low risk of community spread.
More than 1.07 million South Carolina residents — or 26% of the state’s population — had completed COVID-19 vaccination as of Saturday.
Horry County COVID-19 cases hold steady
Coronavirus cases in Horry County continue to hold steady despite the threat of a potential surge, according to The Sun News.
It’s been months since the county’s daily case count has exceeded 100. However, health officials say it’s important to remain cautious because the virus is still very much real.
“I’m tired of the masks, I hate it, I don’t like doing it,” said Dr. Paul Richardson, chief medical officer at Conway Medical Center. “But it’s a necessary evil in order to get to where we need to go.”
In the last week, Horry County has recorded 229 new COVID-19 cases with more than 133,000 residents receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
Few fully vaccinated people in SC contract virus
Health officials have discovered a small number of COVID-19 cases among South Carolinians who have been fully vaccinated against the virus.
The “breakthrough cases” are extremely rare and are typically mild, health officials say. But it’s important to track them to possibly identify new mutations of the virus if they emerge.
They also provide insight into the effectiveness of the vaccines for patients who have weakened immune systems and struggle to fight off infections.
As of April 8, officials had reported 155 breakthrough cases among the 893,400 people in South Carolina who had been fully vaccinated by that time. Seventeen of those patients were hospitalized and at least one person died, officials told The State.
If all of the 155 breakthrough cases were found among S.C. residents, .01% of fully vaccinated South Carolinians experienced a rare post-vaccination infection and roughly .001% were hospitalized.
Experts told The State the low percentages prove the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines.
Some businesses require masks as Beaufort County ends mandate
Some Beaufort County governments are starting to lift their mask mandates — but health officials are still urging residents to wear them, and some private businesses are still requiring them.
Beaufort County, Bluffton and Port Royal have opted to allow their mask requirements to expire. The Town of Hilton Head Island and the City of Beaufort are the last municipalities in the county with face mask requirements.
But some businesses plan to keep their own rules in place.
“As a private business, you can decide whether you allow customers or visitors onto your property if they are not wearing a mask. This is similar to the ‘no shirt, no shoes, no service’ policy that you commonly see,” Fisher Phillips LLP, a national law firm that focuses on employment and labor issues, said, according to The Island Packet.
Many national businesses still require masks, and their rules don’t change when local governments lift mandates.
Spokespeople for CVS, Best Buy, Kroger and Walmart, for example, told The Island Packet that their companies still have nationwide mask requirements for shoppers and employees.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends the use of face masks in public, even for people who have been fully vaccinated.
