COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has broken 1,000 total new COVID cases in a single day for the first time in three months, as the "summer surge" begins to increase in the state. And this comes as experts say 93 percent of cases last month in the state were from people who were unvaccinated.
South Carolina's health agency, DHEC, released their latest numbers Friday, which reflects data collected on July 21. It shows there were 1,212 new total cases, which is the first time the 1,000 cases mark has been crossed since April 16 and the highest total overall since April 14.
In the Midlands, Lexington County had the highest number of new cases with 131 with Richland County second with 126. Click here for county-by-county numbers
Health experts across America and in South Carolina have expressed concern about the surge in cases and the rise in hospitalizations. And doctors are saying the main problem is the high number of Americans who remain unvaccinated.
DHEC Friday released the following statistics about who was contracting and dying of COVID.
From June 1-30:
- 5,344 cases were reported
- Of those where vaccine status was able to be determined (n=3312), 3079 (93%) were considered not fully vaccinated.
- 243 COVID-related hospitalizations were reported
- Of those where vaccine status was able to be determined (n=167), 143 (86%) were considered not fully vaccinated.
- 39 COVID-related deaths were reported
- Of those where vaccine status was able to be determined (n=21), 19 (90%) were considered not fully vaccinated.
“This data is further proof that vaccinations save lives,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director. “We can’t stress this enough: eligible residents should protect themselves and their loved ones by getting fully vaccinated. Full vaccination is achieved two weeks after a person gets their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single-shot of Janssen. That two-week period is significant because it allows the vaccine to reach full efficacy, giving an individual the best chance to stave off the virus and its impacts if a breakthrough case occurs.”
DHEC says it strongly encourages every eligible person to get their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, including people who already had COVID-19. DHEC and the CDC recommend this because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19. Learn more about why getting vaccinated is a safer way to build protection than getting infected.
Vaccines are available for ages 12 and up and are the number one way to end the pandemic by protecting individuals from the virus and its variants.
Visit DHEC’s information page for more information on the vaccines, and the locator page to schedule a vaccine appointment.