Key indicators of COVID-19 spread rose week over week in SC as DHEC urges vaccination
New cases rose, more people were hospitalized and the percentage of positive tests surged from July 19 to 23, the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control reported — all signs that coronavirus is mounting a comeback in South Carolina.
In that time period, South Carolina had 3,756 new cases of COVID-19 reported, according to DHEC. That’s an average of about 751 new cases reported each day. This is the fourth consecutive week of reported cases rising.
With 1,212 new cases reported by DHEC on Friday, it’s the first time South Carolina has had more than 1,000 cases reported in a single day since mid-April.
DHEC reported this week at least 25 people died of coronavirus.
Sequencing data released Monday by DHEC provides strong indication that many COVID-19 cases reported in South Carolina in early July have been delta variant infections.
Positivity rate nearly quadruples
The average percentage of positive coronavirus tests has nearly quadrupled in four weeks, according to DHEC data. Four weeks ago, about 2.16% of tests came back positive. This week, an average of 9.26% were positive, almost double the percentage that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention marked as a goal for slowing virus spread.
The CDC says a positivity rate consistently below 5% means the virus spread is slowing in a community. Anything higher means the virus is likely spreading.
The four weeks of surging coronavirus indicators come as South Carolina health officials predicted the state could experience an increase in coronavirus cases because of the combination of low vaccination rates and the appearance of the delta variant.
“DHEC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination very strongly for all those who are eligible,” the department said over social media on Wednesday. “Being fully vaccinated is the most effective way to decrease the spread of the virus. ... We’ve lost too many people and have been fighting this pandemic for too long to allow public health to be impacted by false sources of information.”
Push for more vaccinations
The State reported that 94% of new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated people also account for the majority of people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 or die of the disease.
As of Tuesday, the last day of hospitalization reporting, 297 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in South Carolina compared to 192 hospitalizations the previous week. With 105 more people being hospitalized, that’s the highest week-to-week increase in months.
Almost 20,000 more people were reported to have completed vaccination as of Wednesday, the last vaccination day reported by DHEC. Nearly 1.89 million people are vaccinated in South Carolina. That’s about 44% of the state’s residents.
At least 606,833 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 9,878 have died since March 2020, according to DHEC.
DHEC has launched its “Shot and a Chaser” campaign in partnership with the South Carolina Brewers Guild. The campaign will reward anyone who gets a COVID-19 shot at select breweries across the state with a free beer or soda, the agency said.
To learn how to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, visit The State’s website.
