The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) held a media briefing last Friday to discuss the state’s continued rollout plan.
Officials announced that they’re expecting to receive 122,360 doses of the three available vaccines directly from manufacturers this week. Another 12,600 doses will be made available through the federal allocation program, which distributes doses to selected pharmacy partners including CVS, Walgreens and, a recent addition, Walmart.
DHEC officials expressed confidence that the state would see an increase in the number of Johnson & Johnson doses next week, March 29.
If S.C. continues to receive more doses over the next few weeks, DHEC is estimating that phase 1C of vaccination rollout will begin April 12. However, that is subject to change based on the availability of vaccines and the number of people in phase 1B who receive their dose.
DHEC announced 343 new cases on Monday with a percent positive of 4.0%. Though the overall numbers seem to be declining, officials anticipate a potential surge over Easter weekend, so they are urging people to continue practicing COVID regulations like social distancing and wearing masks.
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