Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on March 10
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
150 new COVID cases reported in SC
At least 1.14 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 14,744 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday, March 10, reported 150 new COVID-19 cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths. There were also 205 probable cases and 24 probable deaths.
The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Feb. 20, state health data shows. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to identify new coronavirus strains, according to the agency’s website.
At least 351 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of March 10, including 66 patients being treated in intensive care units and 29 on ventilators. Data shows nearly 4% of hospitalizations in South Carolina are coronavirus-related.
As of March 10, roughly 4% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Nearly 54% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and about 62% have received at least one dose, health officials say.
‘Stealth’ omicron variant cases doubling in U.S., CDC says
While coronavirus cases are on the decline, omicron subvariant BA.2 — better known as “stealth” omicron — continues to spread across the U.S.
Cases of the subvariant are becoming more prevalent and have almost doubled in the last few weeks, McClatchy News reported, citing estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of March 5, the variant accounted for 11.6% of overall COVID-19 cases compared to this same time last month.
So what does it mean and should people be worried about another wave?
“All in all, I think we’re really gonna be OK and I don’t think BA.2 is gonna be problematic like omicron,” Dr. Thomas Russo, an infectious disease doctor and professor and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Buffalo, told McClatchy News.
Read the full story here.
Jasper County Schools drop mask mandate for students
Students in Jasper County will no longer have to wear a face mask in class or on a school bus, according to The Island Packet.
School board members voted to end the mask requirement during a meeting on Monday, March 7, the outlet reported. District spokesman Travis Washington said the change is effectively immediately.
Jasper County Schools first issued its face mask rules in October 2021 and extended them several times amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases. The district briefly moved to distance learning in the fall before returning to in-person classes two weeks later.
Unmasked students and staff were subject to weekly coronavirus testing, a measure school district officials said could return “should the need arise.”
Read the full story here.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 7:09 AM with the headline "Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on March 10."