SOUTH CAROLINA – On Friday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported a total of 6,697 new cases of COVID-19 on Aug. 25, the third-highest total in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
Not since the state reported 7,680 cases on Jan. 6 and 7,450 on Jan. 8 has the state seen so many positive tests on one day, state health officials said.
Just two months ago, following an initial wave of vaccinations and schools being out for summer vacations, the state recorded back-to-back days on June 19 and 20 of less than 100 cases statewide.
Now, state health officials said that South Carolina has not been below 1,000 cases since July 24 and has had two days with more than 5,000 cases and two with more than 4,000 in the last two weeks.
Berkeley County has also seen a spike in cases. Over the last two weeks, 2,320 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the county, state data shows – bringing the county’s total to 23,769 cases since since March 19, 2020.
Current COVID-19 cases in Berkeley County are much higher than last year’s numbers, SCDHEC reports. On Aug. 25, 2020, Berkeley County reported just 11 coronavirus cases. Exactly one year later – Aug. 25, 2021 – 265 cases were confirmed in the county. On New Year’s Day 2021, the county reported 64 cases.
To date, there have been 224 deaths reported due to COVID-19 in Berkeley County.
The latest health data shows that 85,055 Berkeley County residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus while 100,079 have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
According to state health officials, the trend is going in the wrong direction. The expected surge in new cases once children returned to school across South Carolina and the proliferation of the highly transmissible Delta variant has fueled a spike that requires the state’s attention and legislative consideration of the removal of masking restrictions, they said.
SCDHEC officials said young people are also getting COVID-19, more are requiring hospitalization, and more are being put on ventilators than at any time in the pandemic, and the school year has only just begun. Unfortunately, young people are also less likely to be vaccinated, putting them at higher risk – only about 20 percent of those 12–19 are fully vaccinated in South Carolina, and those under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination, requiring other means, such as mask wearing and social distancing, to protect them from COVID-19.
“We have to pay close attention to what these numbers are telling us about the virus’ behavior and understand the risk we’re facing,” said Dr. Ed Simmer, DHEC Director. “Without a corresponding surge in vaccinations to meet this challenge and universal indoor masking in public places, my fear is that more grim milestones are ahead. My hope, however, is that we will rise to meet this challenge by getting all eligible South Carolinians vaccinated so together we can end this pandemic.”
Find a vaccine location near you at schdec.gov/vaxlocator.
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