This coronavirus trend is key as school starts back Monday morning in York County
South Carolina continued its downward trend in COVID-19 cases on Monday, with fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases for the 10th straight day.
There were no deaths reported Monday due to coronavirus from York, Lancaster or Chester counties. Daily data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control show 27 new confirmed positive test cases Monday in York County.
Lancaster County added 17 and Chester County four new confirmed positive tests.
Statewide, there were 543 confirmed and 19 probable cases announced Monday. There were seven confirmed deaths. Those figures bring state totals during the COVID-19 pandemic to 111,202 confirmed and 1,349 probable cases, with 2,387 confirmed and 124 probable deaths.
The statewide rate of positive tests remained high at 13.3%.
State epidemiologist Linda Bell on Friday said the percentage of positive tests from all that are collected in South Carolina are still concerning. Bell said a downward trend in that number, sustained for a couple of weeks, at ideally less than 5% of positive tests would be needed to show significant progress in spread of the virus.
“That’s an indicator of a lower amount of disease in the community. We still need that percent positive to be significantly lower (than it is now),” she said.
Bell said those listed benchmarks would have widespread implications for reopenings and daily life decisions. On Friday she said the message is the same it has been for months, to keep physical distance and use good hygiene as means of virus prevention.
“If we ever want to return to any level of pre-pandemic normalcy, we really must act more aggressively than ever before, and we must act now,” Bell said.
Disease activity rate
DHEC sets categories for disease transmission rates by county that include cases the past two weeks, trend in case counts and the percentage of positive tests.
DHEC updated that transmission rate data on Monday. York County is one of seven counties statewide in the medium range. Lancaster and Chester counties are in the high range. There are no counties statewide in the low range.
York County has a medium rate of infection at 152 positives per 100,000 people. The two-week trend for York County is low, but the 11.6% of positive tests remains in the high category, per DHEC.
Chester County ranks high in two categories but low in its two-week trend of positive tests. Lancaster County ranks high in all three categories.
The disease transmission rate listing is a key metric for area school districts as they plan in-person school options. Swings toward the high end could limit any in-person instruction. Swings toward the low end could bring back full five-day education similar to what it was before the pandemic.
York County has the fourth lowest rate of positive tests per capita among all South Carolina counties.
Cases by ZIP code
As of Sunday night, there are cases in the following ZIP codes:
York County
▪ 29702 - 94
▪ 29704 - 60
▪ 29708 - 395
▪ 29710 - 447
▪ 29715 - 461
▪ 29717 - 19
▪ 29726 - 14
▪ 29730 - 1,010
▪ 29732 - 951
▪ 29742 - 29
▪ 29743 - 8
▪ 29745 - 437
Lancaster County
▪ 29058 - 71
▪ 29067 - 133
▪ 29707 - 281
▪ 29720 - 1,065
Chester County
▪ 29014 - 46
▪ 29031 - 23
▪ 29055 - 118
▪ 29706 - 493
▪ 29712 - 30
▪ 29714 - 66
▪ 29729 - 65
Return to school
Students in the York and Clover school districts returned to class Monday. Both districts have virtual academies along with in-person options for students.
Plans that could add or remove in-person options during the year will depend on area trends in coronavirus case count.
York County hasn’t had more than 45 new confirmed cases in a day since Aug. 8, after averaging about 60 cases per day through July. York County had more than 90 cases in a day three times in July, with a high of 158 cases July 3. Positive case by zip code data also shows lower growth spread in the Clover district.
In a video message to the district Aug. 20, superintendent Sheila Quinn asked that parents and students continue to take distancing measures that can help prevent coronavirus spread.
“We are pleased to see these numbers going down, but this is not the time to get reckless and let your guard down,” she said.
Nursing homes, care facilities
Nursing homes and residential care facilities continue to be a concern for the health department due to high risk populations there.
For the 30-day span through Aug. 20, there were 236 facilities statewide that reported 1,239 resident positives and 211 deaths. There were 605 staff positives and one death in that time.
The tri-county area has 13 facilities that reported at least one confirmed case in that span. Seven are sites in Rock Hill. Chester and Lancaster have two each. Fort Mill and Tega Cay have one each. Those sites combined for 93 resident positives and 46 staff positives. There have been nine confirmed deaths, all to residents.
Since the pandemic began there have been 354 statewide facilities that reported 4,487 resident and 2,337 staff positives along with 933 resident and 15 staff deaths, through Aug. 20.
The tri-county area has 21 facilities that reported at least one positive case.
Four sites have had 30 or more cases, with the most from a Rock Hill site at 71 confirmed positives. There are 11 Rock Hill sites listed, three in Lancaster, two in Chester and one each in Fort Mill, Tega Cay, York, Great Falls and Fort Lawn.
Those sites combine for 281 resident and 155 staff positives. There have been 35 deaths, all to residents.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 3:58 PM.
