SC’s cases are ‘the worst it’s been’ as York County adds 2nd highest coronavirus count
York County reported its second highest coronavirus total in the pandemic, resulting in nearly 2,000 cases in the last two weeks.
The county added 175 confirmed coronavirus cases and two probable case Wednesday, according to information released by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. York County’s count was the second-highest reported of all the South Carolina counties on Wednesday. Greenville County was the highest with 345 cases.
Four of York County’s top five counts have been reported in the last week, according to DHEC data. The county reported its highest on Sunday with 274 cases.
With less than 10 days gone in December, York County has reported 1,433 new cases, which is more than half of the 2,474 cases reported in the month of November, according to DHEC data. Last month, the county reported its highest monthly average — 85 cases a day.
York County, with about 280,000 people, has reported 11,363 confirmed or probable cases since the pandemic started, according to DHEC data. In the last two weeks, the county has added 1,964 new cases.
And with South Carolina’s first doses of vaccines in sight, state health officials said at a press conference Wednesday they worry residents have stopped following precautions, causing the post-holiday surge.
“Just last week we reported two of the highest days of cases since the pandemic first came to South Carolina,” state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said. “And with more than, 13,900 South Carolinians last week alone being reported ... it makes last week the worst it has been for us since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Bell, referencing recent projections from the Institute of Health, Metrics and Evaluation, warned that if South Carolinians don’t start taking measures to mitigate the spread, virus activity in the state will continue to worsen.
Gov. Henry McMaster called on the state’s residents to continue following precautions to wear masks and social distance.
“It appears that many people have let their guard down,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. “I know we have fatigue from all the things that we need to do, but now is not the time for us to let up. Now is the time for us to redouble our efforts.”
McMaster urged the state’s residents to remain patient as the vaccine begins to roll out in stages, with health care professionals having high priority.
“This will be a slow process all over the country,” he said. “Most South Carolinians will not be vaccinated for months. So, we’ve got to keep our guard up.”
Across the state, South Carolina added 2,139 total confirmed cases Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day the state has added more than 2,000 cases. Across the state, 26 confirmed deaths were reported. No deaths were reported in the area.
More than 223,000 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the virus since March and 4,280 have died, according to DHEC data.
How are the numbers in Lancaster, Chester?
Cases in Lancaster County have jumped significantly in November and December. The county consistently reported less than 20 cases a day in October and September. Now, Lancaster County, with about 98,000 people, has been reporting cases in the high twenties and thirties.
Wednesday, the county reported 40 new cases, according to DHEC data. Its highest case count is 56, which was recorded on Nov. 27.
The county has reported 3,874 confirmed or probable cases since March, according to DHEC data. In the last two weeks, the county has added 480 new cases.
“It’s worrisome,” Lancaster County Emergency Management Director Darren Player said of the county’s current cases. “Even at our peak back in the summer, that’s higher. We just got a hair over 300 then, but this is the first time we crossed out of 300 into 400.”
However, in the county, Player said coronavirus-related deaths have not gone up with the spiking number of cases.
‘There’s a much larger percentage of new cases than there is a percentage of deaths related to that larger percentage of cases,” he said. ‘”There are people who are dying, so you cannot minimize that because for that person in that family, that’s a tragedy, but in overall population, that’s not bearing out.”
Chester County added 13 new cases. Its highest case count is 34, which was recorded Saturday. The county, with about 32,000 people, has reported a total of 1,760 confirmed or probable cases. In the last two weeks, the county has added 251 new cases.
How are the local numbers trending?
York County
Chester County
