15 SC counties with the biggest spikes in COVID-19 transmissions right now. What to know
Richland County is one of multiple South Carolina counties that have recently seen jumps in COVID-19 community levels and health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated and mask up.
In a Friday press release, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control urged the public to track community level spread in the county where they live/work and to follow preventative steps based on the latest data. Also, residents should remain up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, the department warns.
“Part of treating COVID-19 as an endemic virus is recognizing that we need to know the current community level and the steps to take to stay virus-free,” Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC Director, said in the press release. “We are seeing more medium and high transmission across South Carolina, so we strongly encourage our residents to follow all recommendations, including masking, staying home when sick, and being vaccinated, including boosters when eligible, that will help bring these numbers back down.”
The latest DHEC data shows that as of June 6, the number of new COVID-19 cases was up 31.7% over the previous month for the state. Also, COVID-related hospitalizations were up 53.3% over the prior month.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates its COVID-19 Community Level map every Thursday night and provides a snapshot of COVID-19 levels in each county. Residents can visit the interactive map or use the county check tool on DHEC’s community levels page to view levels in their area.
Currently, South Carolina’s red counties — those with high transmission — are Dillon and Marlboro counties.
The state’s yellow counties — those with medium transmission — are Berkeley, Charleston, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dorchester, Florence, Horry, Lexington, Marion, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties.
Here is the masking guidance for the various county levels:
- For low levels of COVID-19 in a community, masking is “not needed in most settings,” but remains optional for individuals.
- In communities with medium levels of COVID-19, individuals who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 as well as those who are regularly around immunocompromised individuals are encouraged to mask up, while it is optional for others.
- In communities with high levels of COVID-19, masking is recommended in indoor settings, including schools and workplaces.
In addition to following the masking guidance, residents should follow the vaccination and booster guidance, as well as the quarantine and isolation guidance, outlined on DHEC’s endemic page. The page also has guidance on when to get tested and where to find free, rapid antigen tests.
This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 9:48 AM.
