New coronavirus cases leaped in South Carolina in the week ending Sunday, rising 267.5% as 30,746 cases were reported. The previous week had 8,367 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
South Carolina ranked 28th among the states where the coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 104% from the week before, with 2,833,203 cases reported.
With 1.55% of the country’s population, South Carolina had 1.09% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 49 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Christmas and New Year’s significantly disrupted who got tested, how many people got tested, what labs operated and what government agencies reported on time. Some of the Christmas weekend reports were shifted into the latest week.
Most states reported no cases at all the weekend of New Year’s, which will bump those reports into the following week. Consequently, week-to-week comparisons will be skewed and these numbers will be unreliable even as they’re accurate to what states reported.
Beaufort County reported 776 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 175 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 28,961 cases and 325 deaths.
Jasper County reported 79 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 15 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,135 cases and 82 deaths.
Within South Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Richland County, with 992 cases per 100,000 per week; Fairfield County with 832; and Charleston County with 824. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Richland County, with 4,125 cases; Greenville County, with 3,813 cases; and Charleston County, with 3,388. Weekly case counts rose in 46 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Richland, Greenville and Charleston counties.
South Carolina ranked 35th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 62.8% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 73.3%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Thursday, South Carolina reported administering another 89,692 vaccine doses, including 23,670 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 122,401 vaccine doses, including 29,676 first doses. In all, South Carolina reported it has administered 6,713,342 total doses.
In South Carolina, 86 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 89 people were reported dead.
A total of 975,320 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 14,636 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 55,114,057 people have tested positive and 826,060 people have died.
South Carolina’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Jan. 2.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 1,703
- The week before that: 903
- Four weeks ago: 642
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 146,041
- The week before that: 99,270
- Four weeks ago: 86,518
Hospitals in 42 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 32 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 48 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
Credit: Original article published here.
