COVID rates are spiking in Horry, Georgetown and 19 other counties. Masking is encouraged.

As COVID numbers are spiking again in Horry County, state health officials are encouraging people to monitor disease levels and heed masking guidelines to help contain its spread.

The 12-county Pee Dee region are among 21 where transmission rates are high — while 23 others are facing moderate spread, newly released data shows.

“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 said in a statement.

As of Jan. 4 - the most recent set of information available — Horry County saw an 11.6% week-over-week in cases and now averages nearly 199 per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-related hospital admissions are up by 32% from last week, while 70% of the county’s population have had at least one COVID vaccine.

Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea told The Sun News Jan. 9 the city had no plans to re-implement face covering and social distancing guidelines. Inquiries to the county and Horry County Schools were not immediately returned Jan. 9.