As Covid infections are on the rise locally, the Department of Health and Environmental Control [SCDHEC] is suggesting that residents should consider masking up again.
Are locals mask fatigued? Those issues concern DHEC officials.
New DHEC data shows that the Pee Dee region, which includes 12 counties, are among 21 in South Carolina where transmission rates are high. The 12 counties that make up the Pee Dee region include: Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter, and Williamsburg Counties.
“We are seeing significant increases in COVID-19 cases across our state, and we know there are a lot more cases that aren’t being reported due to the use of nonreportable home tests,” Brannon Traxler, public health director for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control [DHEC] said in a press statement.
Horry County experienced an 11.6% jump in week-over-week new cases.
Horry County now averages nearly 199 new infections per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public data shows that COVID-related Horry County hospital admissions are up by 32% from the week preceding January 3rd.
Vaccinated people are among those most likely to be hospitalized. 70% of Horry County’s population have had at least one COVID vaccine.