Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Feb. 19
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 1,100 new COVID cases reported in SC
At least 1.13 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 14,084 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Friday, Feb. 18, reported 1,195 new COVID-19 cases and 11 coronavirus-related deaths. There were also 741 probable cases and three probable deaths.
The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina during the week ending Jan. 29, state health data shows.
At least 1,149 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Feb. 17, including 234 patients being treated in intensive care units and 135 on ventilators. Data shows roughly 12% of hospitalizations in South Carolina are coronavirus-related.
As of Feb. 18, just over 9% 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.
Almost 54% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 63% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
Rapid antigen COVID test recalled ‘for several reasons,’ FDA says
Consumers shouldn’t use the E25Bio COVID-19 Direct Antigen Rapid Test because they could return inaccurate results, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A Class I recall, “the most serious type,” was issued for the at-home tests after the Massachusetts-based company recalled them “for several reasons,” McClatchy News reported, citing a news release.
FDA officials said the tests are not FDA-authorized or -approved despite being marketed that way. The agency has advised consumers to “destroy the tests by placing them in the trash.”
SC state officials to close COVID testing sites, stop daily case reporting
In March, South Carolina state health officials will begin closing public drive-thru COVID-19 test sites and stop reporting daily case counts as the latest coronavirus surge eases, The State reported.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced the change Friday, Feb. 18, citing a decrease in COVID-19 cases and coronavirus-related hospitalizations. Officials also pointed to the widespread availability of rapid, at-home testing kits.
“As the virus continues to trend toward an endemic, screening testing is no longer necessary or recommended in most instances,” the agency said in a statement.
SC DHEC is also expected to announce changes to contact tracing and school guidance next week, The State reported.
For more information, read the full story here.
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 at 3 p.m. March 13 along Pope Avenue, the outlet 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 from COVID when others aren’t wearing one?
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.
This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 6:54 AM.