Editor’s note: After moving to weekly updates this spring, we have restarted daily COVID-19 updates as the state experiences increased cases.

What you need to know this week: Evidence suggests that a COVID spike led by the delta variant may be close to its peak, according to Dr. Michael Sweat, leader of the COVID-19 tracking team at the Medical University of South Carolina.

โ€œThe evidence, based on other states that saw the kind of case rate weโ€™re having, suggests we may be getting close to a max,” he said in a press release. “I’ve been watching other places that have had big surges โ€” Louisiana, Florida, Texas. I see this pattern. It seems like it’s eight to 12 weeks. It goes up fast and then down relatively quickly.โ€

Sweat’ acknowledgement comes as the Tri-county area’s weekly COVID case rate shot up another 25%, the press release said, going from about 5,600 cases to nearly 7,000 โ€” a pandemic high.

Latest COVID-19 data

South Carolina health officials reported 3,757 total cases of COVID-19 Sept. 7, with 3,453 confirmed. A total of 28 new deaths, with 23 confirmed, were reported Tuesday.

With 39,904 tests reported, 12.3% were confirmed positive.

Over the weekend, DHEC confirmed 13,159 total new cases, with 4,901 confirmed Saturday4,585 confirmed Sunday and 3,673 confirmed Monday. A total of 164 new deaths were confirmed over the weekend, with 38 deaths confirmed Saturday73 deaths confirmed Sunday and 53 deaths confirmed Monday.

Percentage of S.C. residents with at least 1 vaccine: 57.7%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 48.7%


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