SC not ‘over a hump’ yet even as York, Lancaster, Chester cases improve, official says
Coronavirus trends in York, Lancaster and Chester counties continued to rapidly improve this week as the state’s summer delta variant surge has started to dwindle.
York County’s seven-day average of new cases, as of Wednesday, plummeted to about 78 infections per day, according to data from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. A week ago, the average was 107 cases per day. Last month, the county averaged almost 300 cases per day.
Lancaster County’s seven-day case average, as of Wednesday, dropped to 37 new infections per day. Just last month, the county averaged almost 100 cases per day.
And Chester County’s average, which reached an all-time high last month of 42 cases per day, fell, as of Wednesday, to 14 infections per day.
Despite the shrinking case counts, state health officials continue to urge state residents that this isn’t the first time South Carolina has seen an improvement in coronavirus trends.
“It’s too early to assume that we’ve permanently turned a corner or that we’re completely over a hump,” DHEC’s public health director Dr. Brannon Traxler said Wednesday. “We have seen this happen a few times before during this pandemic, and have seen cases and hospitalizations then jump back up. We shouldn’t look at the last few weeks as a sign that things are going to absolutely continue to improve from here on out.”
In order for the state to truly turn a corner in the pandemic, Traxler said a number of factors need to happen.
“There’s not a hard and fast cut off, at which point the pandemic is over or the pandemic is ended in our state,” she said. “If we see a sustained — and that’s a key word — drop in severe COVID-19 cases to very low counts, and very minimal deaths occurring, combined with the strong vaccination rate, that would indicate we’re likely in that homestretch.”
Although the three counties’ cases are reaching lower counts, the deaths are not dropping at the same rate.
Wednesday, York County did not report any deaths, but the county added 14 deaths last week, one of which was an individual between 18 and 34. So far in October, the county has reported 20 deaths. Throughout September, it reported a total of 32.
Last week, Lancaster County reported 10 new deaths. The county, so far in October, has already added 13 deaths. Throughout September, the county reported a total of 20.
What’s happening in the schools?
Fort Mill School District, Lancaster County School District and Rock Hill School District showed significant drops in cases.
In the case of Rock Hill, the district has only displays cases that have been reported from Sunday through Wednesday, so numbers could rise throughout the week. But as of Wednesday, compared to a total of 39 cases reported Oct. 7, the district is reporting a 67% decrease with only 10 cases.
Fort Mill showed a 39% decrease in cases in one week, with 85 total reported Oct. 7 and 52 cases reported as of Wednesday, Oct. 13.
And LCSD, which was been shaken this year after two staff members and one student died of coronavirus, is starting to see a steady drop off in cases. The district displayes its totals at the end of each week. Between the week of Sept. 25 through Oct. 1, and the week of Oct. 2 through Oct. 8, the district saw a 29% decrease in coronavirus cases.
The rest of the area’s districts have held mostly steady compared to last week, with cases rising or falling by less than 10.
York County
Rock Hill School District active cases as of Wednesday: 10 students, 0 staff
Fort Mill School District active cases as of Wednesday: 43 students, 9 staff
York School District 1 active cases as of Wednesday: 19 students, 0 staff
Clover School District active cases as of Wednesday: 47 students, 11 staff
Lancaster County
Lancaster County School District active cases, updated Monday: 76 total
Chester County
Chester County School District active cases for the week of Oct. 4: 22 total
County level data
Here is the latest coronavirus data for York, Lancaster and Chester counties:
York County
New cases reported Wednesday: 46 confirmed, 16 probable
New deaths reported Wednesday: None
Seven-day average of new cases: 77.6 confirmed infections per day
Two-week incidence rate: 460.5 cases per 100,000 people
Vaccination rate: 49.4% of the county’s population has been fully vaccinated
Lancaster County
New cases reported Wednesday: 13 confirmed, nine probable
New deaths reported Wednesday: One confirmed
Seven-day average of new cases: 37.4 confirmed infections per day
Two-week incidence rate: 560.1 cases per 100,000 people
Vaccination rate: 44.2% of the county’s population has been fully vaccinated
Chester County
New cases reported Wednesday: Four confirmed, 15 probable
New deaths reported Wednesday: One confirmed
Seven-day average of new cases: 13.9 confirmed infections per day
Two-week incidence rate: 663.7 cases per 100,000 people
Vaccination rate: 46.4% of the county’s population has been fully vaccinated
Where can I get vaccinated in York, Lancaster, Chester counties?
In Rock Hill:
Walmart 4875 Old York Rd., offers Moderna CVS at 1746 Heckle Rd., offers Moderna
Publix, 1735 Heckle Blvd., offers Moderna
Walgreens, 1645 Cranium Drive, offers Pfizer
Harris Teeter Pharmacy, 2750 Celanese Road, offers Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
CVS, 2707 Celanese Rd., offers Moderna
Riverview Family Medicine and Urgent Care, offers Johnson & Johnson
Piedmont Medical Center, 222 South Herlong Avenue, offers Pfzer
Good Pharmacy, 1237 Ebenezer Road, offers Moderna
Walgreens, 1008 Oakland Avenue, offers Moderna
CVS at 609 Cherry Road, offers Moderna
Walgreens, 1295 East Main Street, offers Pfizer
Rock Hill-Piedmont Operations Center Vaccine Clinic, 757 S. Anderson Road, offers Pfizer
Walgreens at 1295 E. Main Street, offers Pfizer
South End Pharmacy, 1401 Albright Rd., offers 1401 Albright Rd.
CVS at 1900 Springsteen Rd., Moderna
Sam’s Club, 2747 Crosspointe Dr., offers Moderna
Rock Hill Health Department, 1070 Heckle Blvd., offers Pfizer and Moderna
Walgreens, 1645 Cranium Dr., offers Pfizer
In Fort Mill:
Redec Pharmacy, 200 N. Darbys Bridge Rd., Suite 124, offers Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
Walgreens, 1250 Tom Hall Street, offers Pfizer
Walmart, 500 N. Dobys Bridge Rd., offers Moderna
CVS, 510 Tom Hall St., offers Moderna
Harris Teeter Pharmacy, 500 Mercantile Place, offers Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
Publix Pharmacy, 928 Gold Hill Rd., offers Moderna
Walgreens, 1716 Pleasant Rd., offers Moderna
CVS, 1740 Hwy. 160 West, offers Moderna
Harris Teeter Pharmacy, 1750 Hwy. 160 W., offers Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna
Publix, 928 Gold Hill Rd., offers Modenra
Walgreens, 2907 Highway 160 W., offers Pfizer
CVS, 510 Tom Hall St., offers Moderna
Harris Teeter, 867 Stockbridge Dr., offers Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna
In Chester:
Chester County Health Department, 129 Wylie St., offers Pfizer, Moderna
MUSC Health-Chester Hospital, 1 Medical Park Dr., offers Pfizer
CVS, 592 Lancaster Hwy., offers Moderna
Walmart at 1691 J.A. Cochran Bypass, offers Moderna
Chester County EMS, 514A Government Dr.
MUSC Health-Lowrys Primary Care, 517 Doctors Court
Great Falls Pharmacy, 503 Chester Ave Suite A., offers Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
In Lancaster:
MUSC Health Primary Care-Lancaster, 210A W. Meeting Street
CVS at 1869 Great Falls Hwy., offers Moderna
CVS at 333 Hwy. 9 Bypass, offers Moderna
MUSC Health-Lancaster Hospital, 800 W. Meeting Street, offers Pfizer
Plexus Health Lancaster, 838 W. Meeting Street Medical Arts 5, Suite H, offers Moderna
Mackey Family Practice Lancaster, 1025 W. Meeting Street Suite 200, offers Moderna
Mobley Drugs Inc., 1073 W. Meeting Street, offers Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
Lancaster County Health Department, 1228 Colonial Commons Ct. Unit 100, offers Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
Walgreens, 1101 Highway 9 Bypass West, offers Pfizer
MDFirst Primary & Urgent Care, 1130 Hwy. 9 Bypass W.
In York:
Walgreens, 997 E. Liberty Street, offers Pfizer
Walmart, 970 E. Liberty Street offers Moderna
Yorkville Pharmacy, 882B E. Liberty Street offers Moderna
York Health Department, 116 N. Congress St. offers Moderna
In Lake Wylie:
Walgreens, 5220 Highway 557, offers Pfizer
Walmart, 175 Highway 274, offers Moderna
Lake Wylie Pharmacy, 221 Latitude Lane Suite 109, offers Johnson & Johnson
Publix at 158 Hwy 274, offers Moderna
In Clover:
CVS 4724 Charlotte Hwy,
CVS 690 Bethel St., offers Moderna
In Tega Cay:
Walmart, 1151 Stonecrest Blvd., 1151 Stonecrest Blvd.
