Covid cases are dropping. This is how York, Lancaster Chester counties are trending
COVID-19 cases in the tri-counties are trending down as the Palmetto State sees the drop in Omicron cases experts predicted would come in February.
“We’re starting to have some cautious optimism,” Dr. Jonathan Knoche, a medical consultant with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, told reporters at a press briefing Tuesday.
Following the CDC shortening quarantine periods from two weeks to five days, regulations regarding COVID-19 have continued to relax.
Knoche also said that as numbers drop, parents are encouraged to make their own decisions about their children wearing masks, and the state is not giving a specific recommendation on this issue.
And Novant Health, which has several outpatient clinics in Rock Hill, announced that it would relax visitation policies. Parents have been restricted from bringing their children with them during appointments throughout the pandemic, they are now able to bring their child “if they cannot find healthcare,” a representative said.
The two tri-county school districts with mask mandates, Chester County School District and York School District 1, are still requiring masks for now.
The most recent case counts were reported on Feb 15.
During the height of the Omicron surge in late January, York, Lancaster and Chester counties saw record case numbers. Almost exactly a month later, the difference between peak case numbers and the numbers reported Tuesday show a dramatic downward trend.
In York County, there were 51 confirmed coronavirus cases and 31 probable cases. York County’s highest case counts were reported Jan. 20, at 1,101 confirmed cases and 280 probable cases. That’s a 95.37% decrease in confirmed cases, in just 26 days.
Chester County also hit its peak on January 20, with 121 confirmed and 27 probable cases. On Tuesday, the county reported just 9 confirmed cases and 6 probable cases, showing a 95.56% decrease.
Confirmed cases in Lancaster County dropped by 82.14% from its peak on Jan. 21 to Feb. 15. On Jan. 21, the county reported 252 confirmed cases and 52 probable cases, on Tuesday it reported 45 confirmed cases and 14 probable cases.
As of Feb. 16, roughly 12% of COVID-19 tests in the state were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Almost 54% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 63% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
