Here’s where the CDC wants people to mask up the most for COVID in SC right now
More people living in 32 South Carolina counties should wear masks because of high rates of COVID-19, federal health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest community levels map shows 32 counties with high levels of COVID-19. Another 12 counties have medium levels, while the other two counties were reported to have low levels of the virus.
The CDC recommends communities with high levels of COVID-19 wear masks indoors in public and on public transportation. It also recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms and, if you are at high risk for severe illness, to take additional precautions.
For communities at medium levels, the CDC recommends people wear masks if they have symptoms, have had a positive test or were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.
The latest South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control statistics shows that as of Aug. 6, cases of COVID-19 were up 4.5% over the previous week. Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were up 1.% over the previous week.
Meanwhile, vaccinations for the virus were down 17.7% over the prior week.
Here are the 32 counties with high COVID-19 levels, according to the CDC.
- Anderson
- Greenville
- Oconee
- Pickens
- Spartanburg
- Cherokee
- Union
- Laurens
- Greenwood
- Newberry
- Fairfield
- Richland
- Lexington
- Edgefield
- Aiken
- Barnwell
- Hampton
- Beaufort
- Charleston
- Dorchester
- Berkeley
- Georgetown
- Horry
- Marion
- Florence
- Dillon
- Marlboro
- Chesterfield
- McCormick
- Darlington
- Colleton
Jasper
Here are the 12 counties with medium COVID-19 levels.
- Saluda
- York
- Chester
- Lancaster
- Kershaw
- Bamburg
- Orangeburg
- Calhoun
- Abbeville
- Allendale
- Sumter
- Williamsburg
Here are the two counties with low COVID-19 levels.
- Lee County
- Clarendon County
