COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Oct. 13
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 500 new COVID-19 cases reported
At least 706,969 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 11,336 have died in South Carolina since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 546 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a decrease of 239 cases from the day before. The state also confirmed 38 additional COVID-19-related deaths.
There were 347 probable cases and two probable deaths reported, data shows.
At least 1,163 people in the state were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 344 patients who are being treated in intensive care units and 245 who are on ventilators. About 13% of hospitalizations across the state are COVID-19-related, data show.
As of Wednesday, 7.6% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Just over 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated, and roughly 61% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.
Need a COVID-19 vaccine? Free shots available in Lancaster County
Lancaster County residents can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, thanks to a new pop-up clinic, The Rock Hill Herald reports.
A vaccination drive at Lancaster High School will offer the Pfizer vaccine on Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Attendees must be at least 12 years old to get the jab, according to The Herald.
Beaufort is ending mask mandate for city buildings
Beaufort is set to lift its mandate requiring face masks inside city-run buildings, The Island Packet reported.
City Manager Bill Prokop announced the decision during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, citing a dip in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The mask mandate expires Monday. Masks will still be required in municipal court, however.
Vaccine hesitancy still an issue amid pandemic, SC DHEC says
Despite messaging about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, more than 2 million South Carolina residents eligible to get the shot remain unvaccinated, according to the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Officials with the public health agency say efforts to persuade people to get the shot, including pro-vaccine messaging and cash incentives, have largely fallen ”on deaf ears,” The State reported.
“It is frustrating and deflating when you’re doing everything you can to make it readily available, easy to understand and you just have a large reluctance,” Keith Frost, an assistant chief in DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality, told the newspaper. “Because the science is there, the science shows that it’s effective.”
Experts also pointed to COVID-19 misinformation and the politicization of the jab as contributing factors to vaccine hesitancy.
Read the full story here.
Jasper County schools to require masks for students, staff
Students and staff at Jasper County Schools will be required to wear face masks to help curb the spread of COVID-19, The Island Packet reports.
County school board members voted unanimously Monday to approve the measure, according to the publication. The mandate took effect Tuesday and will remain in place for the next 30 days until the board revisits the issue at next month’s meeting.
“We follow the recommendations by scientists, and we protect not just our students but everyone who works in the district,” school board member Joyce Gerald said following Monday’s vote.
Read the full story here.
Horry County schools won’t vote on mask mandate
A recent court decision has cleared the way for South Carolina school districts to require face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Horry County Schools doesn’t plan to vote on the issue, according to The Sun News.
The school board previously said it would seek legal advice after a federal judge blocked a one-year provision barring districts from using state budget funds to enforce mask rules in South Carolina schools.
Board members agreed to hold off on discussion until Oct. 11. The topic didn’t appear on Monday’s meeting agenda, however.
“There is not a business item on the agenda regarding masks that will be voted on this evening,” board spokesperson Lisa Bourcier told the newspaper. It’s still unclear if or when board members will consider voting on the issue.
COVID-19 will be around ‘for a long, long time,’ SC health official says
It’s been over a year since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in South Carolina, and while the numbers have improved, state health experts say we’re not out of the woods yet.
So how long before South Carolina residents could see an end to the pandemic? Vaccine hesitancy coupled with the spread of the highly contagious delta variant makes eradicating the virus in the near future very unlikely, several public health experts told The State.
“We’ve all just come to realize that this is not going to just suddenly go away,” Michael Sweat, director of the COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project at the Medical University of South Carolina, told the newspaper. “It’s going to be around for a long, long time.”
What’s more plausible is that the pandemic will end once 90% of the state’s population has either been vaccinated or developed an immunity to the virus. Data from the South Carolina DHEC shows just over 53% of residents eligible to receive the COVID-19 shot have been fully vaccinated.
Read the full story here.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 7:06 AM.
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