Richland among 6 SC counties with the biggest spikes in COVID-19 levels right now. What we know
Richland County is currently among the South Carolina counties with the highest COVID-19 community levels, health officials say.
In a Friday press release, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control stated that Richland was one of six counties with high community levels of COVID-19. Another 15 counties had medium community levels.
In communities with high levels of COVID-19, masking is recommended in indoor settings, including schools and workplaces.
In communities with medium levels of COVID-19, individuals who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 as well as those who are regularly around immunocompromised individuals are encouraged to mask up, while it is optional for others.
The latest DHEC data shows that as of June 11, new cases of COVID-19 were up 25.8% in South Carolina over the previous month. COVID-19-related hospitalizations were up 44.8% over the previous month.
Last week during a previous COVID spike, the DHEC urged the public to track community level spread in the county where they live/work and to follow preventative steps based on the latest data. Also, residents should remain up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, the department warns.
Here are the six the counties with the high COVID-19 community levels.
- Richland
- Chesterfield
- Fairfield
- Horry
- Lexington
- Marlboro
Here are the 15 counties with medium COVID-19 community levels.
- Bamberg
- Berkeley
- Charleston
- Clarendon
- Darlington
- Dorchester
- Florence
- Georgetown
- Kershaw
- Lee
- Newberry
- Orangeburg
- Sumter
- Williamsburg
- York
In addition to following the masking guidance, residents should follow the vaccination and booster guidance, as well as the quarantine and isolation guidance, outlined on DHEC’s endemic page. The page also has guidance on when to get tested and where to find free, rapid antigen tests.
Visit DHEC’s data and dashboards page to follow weekly data trends, and the agency’s main COVID page for other important information.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Richland among 6 SC counties with the biggest spikes in COVID-19 levels right now. What we know."
