‘We need to adhere to the measures’: York County has 4th highest COVID-19 case report
York County on Tuesday reported 148 confirmed coronavirus cases and two probable cases, marking its fourth highest case count to date.
Three of the county’s top four counts have been reported in the last week, according to information released by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. The county reported its highest on Sunday with 274 cases.
York County, with a population of 280,000, has reported 11,173 confirmed or probable cases since the pandemic started, according to DHEC data. In the last two weeks, the county has added 1,925 new cases.
Rock Hill City Council member Nikita Jackson, who first pushed for the city’s mask mandate back in July, told The Herald she worries the county’s numbers have started to soar again because residents have stopped following COVID-19 guidelines. Rock Hill is the only York County municipality with a mask rule still in effect.
“Had we taken the necessary precautions of wearing masks, social distancing and washing our hands, I think we wouldn’t be at the point where the numbers are increasing and even more so, are higher than they were when the pandemic first hit us,” Jackson said.
With fewer than 10 days gone in December, York County has reported more than half of the total number of cases reported in the month of November, according to DHEC data. Last month, the county reported its highest monthly average, 85 cases a day.
Jackson said she recognizes residents may be tired of hearing about, and adhering to, COVID-19 precautions, but she said the pandemic is not an individual issue and residents should think about their neighbors.
“This is affecting not only Rock Hill, not only York County, not only South Carolina, but it’s affecting everyone across the world,” she said. “And because of that, we as elected officials, need to focus on public health ... Public health, being that everyone is, will, and can be affected by the coronavirus. We need to adhere to the measures that we have put in place to make sure that our community is safe.”
How are the numbers in Lancaster, Chester?
Lancaster County reported its third highest case count to date, according to DHEC data. The county added 52 cases. Its highest case count is 56, which was recorded on Nov. 27.
Lancaster County, with a population of about 98,000, has reported 3,825 confirmed or probable cases since March, according to DHEC data. In the last two weeks, the county has added 457 new cases.
Chester County added 15 cases. Its highest case count is 34, which was recorded Saturday. The county, with a population of about 32,000, has reported a total of 1,744 confirmed or probable cases. In the last two weeks, the county has added 245 new cases.
Statewide, South Carolina added 2,115 total confirmed cases Monday, marking the fifth consecutive day the state has added more than 2,000 cases. Across the state, four confirmed deaths were reported. No deaths were reported in the area.
More than 220,000 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the virus since March and 4,253 have died, according to DHEC data.
How are the local numbers trending?
York County
Chester County
