Coronavirus updates for Nov. 16: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back each week for updates.
More than 2,900 COVID cases in SC last week
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Nov. 15, reported 2,944 COVID-19 cases for the week ending Nov. 12 and 17 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Nov. 5.
The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
An estimated 1.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,600 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
According to the DHEC website, starting Nov. 15 it “will begin a two-week delay in COVID-19 death reporting. The weekly reports will include the number of deaths from two weeks prior. For example, deaths reported on Tuesday, Nov. 15 will reflect deaths from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5. This update will provide more complete information at the time of reporting. We will report case counts and other COVID-19 information weekly.”
Data shows COVID-19 cases are down about 28% compared with this time last week, and hospitalizations jumped about 6%. As of Nov. 12, an average of 236 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 28 patients being treated in intensive care and eight patients on ventilators, the latest data shows.
The omicron subvariant BA.5 accounted for about 84% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Oct. 29, followed by subvariant BA.4.6 (13.2%), according to the latest data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to find out about new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.
About 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 62% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 7:05 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates for Nov. 16: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week."