Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Feb. 15
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Fewer than 1,000 new COVID cases reported in SC
At least 1.13 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 13,854 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Feb. 15, reported 845 new COVID-19 cases and two coronavirus-related deaths. There were also 365 probable cases and no 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 1,371 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Feb. 14, including 268 patients being treated in intensive care units and 148 on ventilators. Data shows 15% of hospitalizations in South Carolina are coronavirus-related.
As of Feb. 15, around 11.5% 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.
Roughly 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and over 62% 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 March 13 at 3 p.m. along Pope Avenue, the newspaper 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 you from COVID when others aren’t wearing one? What experts say
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.
Man accused in rape, killing of Midlands teen found dead in jail
A man who pleaded guilty to rape and murder charges in the 2014 death of a Midlands teenager was found dead in his jail cell over the weekend, The State reported, citing the S.C. Department of Corrections.
Stephen Ross Kelly, 29, was found deceased Saturday, Feb. 12, in his cell at Lee Correctional Institution, according to a Department of Corrections spokesperson. Kelly had been treated for COVID-19 since Feb. 7, corrections officials said.
His death remains under investigation.
Read the full story here.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 7:03 AM.