Fewer people need to wear COVID masks in even more SC counties, the CDC says. Here’s where
There were 10 fewer counties with high levels of COVID-19 in South Carolina on Friday than there were a week ago, federal health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest community levels map shows 16 counties with high levels of COVID-19. A week earlier, the CDC reported 26 counties with high rates. The CDC had also reported a drop in counties with high levels two weeks ago.
The latest map also shows 23 counties with medium levels and seven counties with low levels.
The CDC recommends communities with high levels of COVID-19 wear masks indoors in public and on public transportation. It also recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms and, if you are at high risk for severe illness, to take additional precautions.
For communities at medium levels, the CDC recommends people wear masks if they have symptoms, have had a positive test or were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.
The latest South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control shows that as of Aug. 20, cases of COVID-19 were down 22.1% over the previous week. Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were down 6.3% over the previous week.
The department reported 13 COVID-related deaths for the week.
Meanwhile, completed vaccinations for the virus were down 19.8% week over week.
Here are the 16 counties with high COVID-19 levels, according to the CDC.
- Berkeley
- Cherokee
- Dorchester
- Edgefield
- Florence
- Greenwood
- Horry
- Kershaw
- Laurens
- Lexington
- Marlboro
- McCormick
- Newberry
- Richland
- Spartanburg
- Union
Here are the 23 counties with medium COVID-19 levels.
- Abbeville
- Anderson
- Aiken
- Allendale
- Bamberg
- Barnwell
- Calhoun
- Charleston
- Chesterfield
- Colleton
- Darlington
- Dillon
- Fairfield
- Georgetown
- Greenville
- Hampton
- Lancaster
- Marion
- Oconee
- Orangeburg
- Pickens
- Saluda
- Williamsburg
Here are the seven counties with low COVID-19 levels.
- York
- Chester
- Lee
- Sumter
- Clarendon
- Beaufort
- Jasper
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Fewer people need to wear COVID masks in even more SC counties, the CDC says. Here’s where."
