Major indicators of COVID continue to decline week over week, DHEC reports

David Travis Bland
·1 min read

New cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to decline as the latest wave of the coronavirus appears to be ending, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Though the major indicators of the virus spread have decreased, DHEC warned “we cannot let our guard down. Numbers can fluctuate at any point for a number of reasons.”

“The combination of vaccinations and masking, along with other safety protocols, is the only way we will see a sustained decrease that will eventually end this pandemic,” the agency said over social media, “and therefore we must all remain dedicated to getting fully vaccinated and wearing a mask when indicated.”

From Oct. 16 to 22, South Carolina had 6,651 new cases of COVID-19 reported by DHEC and 245 COVID-related deaths. Two weeks ago, the state had almost double the number of new cases.

The percent of positive virus tests was about 5.4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent has said that a percent positive of 5 or lower shows the virus spread is slowing.

At least 864 people were hospitalized in South Carolina but with deaths continuing to be in the hundreds that can account for fewer people being hospitalized.

Almost 2.33 million eligible state residents, or about 54%, have been fully vaccinated.

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