SC sees alarming rise in COVID deaths, DHEC says. Should you mask up again? What to know

COVID-19-related deaths have steadily risen in South Carolina in recent weeks, alarming state health officials enough to recommend more people wear masks again.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 68 new COVID-19-related deaths this week, following 61 deaths the prior week and 48 deaths three weeks ago. The higher death toll comes as the state has seen a surge in new COVID-19 cases over the same period.

Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC public health director, said Friday that South Carolina had not seen such a rise in COVID deaths for some time.

“We know COVID-19 fatigue is real, but we’re back to dozens of South Carolinians losing their lives every week,” Traxler said. “Masking up is one of the easiest ways to reduce risk.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s community levels map as of Friday showed Richland, Lexington and Union with high levels of COVID-19. Another 22 counties showed medium levels of the virus.

Masking is recommended in public indoor settings, including schools and workplaces, for areas with high levels of COVID-19, the DHEC states. For places with medium levels of COVID-19, masking is recommended for people at higher risk of contracting the virus, as well as those who are regularly around those who are immunocompromised.

Traxler said that regarding the latest COVID-19 deaths, there wasn’t a cluster of fatalities in any specific facilities. Also, 85% of the deaths were among those 65 years old and older.

“Though we’re not in the same predicament as during the height of the pandemic, we’re still losing too many South Carolinians,” she said.

Besides masking, Traxler recommended that vaccine boosters, particularly for the elderly, were more important than ever, given that they offer better protection against the latest COVID sub-variants.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccinations, click here. For details on vaccine boosters, click here.

Here are the 22 South Carolina counties with medium levels of COVID, according to the CDC.

1. Anderson
2. Cherokee
3. Chester
4. Chesterfield
5. Clarendon
6. Colleton
7. Darlington
8. Dorchester
9. Fairfield
10. Florence
11. Georgetown
12. Greenville
13. Horry
14. Kershaw
15. Lee
16. Marlboro
17. Newberry
18. Oconee
19. Pickens
20. Spartanburg
21. Sumter
22. Williamsburg

Patrick McCreless

The State

803-771-8353

Patrick McCreless is the Southeast service journalism editor for McClatchy, who leads and edits a team of six reporters in South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. The team writes about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.