Coronavirus updates for April 19: 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. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is providing weekly updates every Tuesday.
More than 1,500 COVID cases last week
At least 1.4 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 17,734 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, April 19, reported 1,521 COVID-19 cases and seven coronavirus-related deaths for the week of April 10-16. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending April 9, according to the latest available state data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to identify new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.
An average of 90 people in the state have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in the last week, including 16 patients being treated in intensive care units and nine patients on ventilators.
As of April 19, 3.5% of molecular COVID-19 tests received in the last seven days returned a positive result. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
Just over 54% percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 63% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.
Masks no longer needed on planes and public transportation
Travelers will no longer need to mask up on airplanes, trains and in transit hubs after a federal judge’s decision blocking mask rules on public transport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The announcement comes days after the agency opted to extend mask rules through at least May 3 amid rising cases of the coronavirus B.A2 subvariant, McClatchy News reported.
“Effective immediately,” the TSA said it won’t enforce masks after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t have the authority to keep the mask requirements in place. Some companies, including several airlines as well as Uber and Lyft, have ditched their mask rules, making them optional for travelers.
“Remember to show understanding and patience with others who may not be aware enforcement is no longer required,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement.
For more information, read the full story here.
CDC updates its travel warning system. What to know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed the way it determines which international destinations have the highest risk of COVID-19.
The public health agency updated its Travel Health Notices system on April 18, announcing that Level 4, or the “Do Not Travel” risk category, will no longer be based on coronavirus incidence and case counts alone.
Going forward, Level 4 “will be reserved for special circumstances, such as rapidly escalating case trajectory or extremely high case counts, emergence of a new variant of concern, and healthcare infrastructure collapse,” according to the CDC’s website.
The four-tier system categorizes international destinations and is used to alert travelers to health and safety risks, including COVID-19, across the world. No countries fall into the newly designated “Level 4” risk category as of April 18.
For more on what the changes mean for travelers, read the full story here.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Coronavirus updates for April 19: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week."