Major COVID-19 indicators continue to decline over week
New cases, deaths and hospitalizations have continued to decline as the most recent wave of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be coming to an end, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
DHEC officials warn South Carolinians to not let their guards down, despite the decline. “Numbers can fluctuate at any point for a number of reasons,” the agency wrote on social media.
But national health experts say previous waves can grant some insight into future trends. Early precautions kept the virus stalled for a while during the first wave, but after some of them were relaxed, record-breaking surges rippled across the nation. By the time the next waves hit, the vaccine had become available, making it more difficult for the pandemic to spread, depending on vaccination rates.
Previous wave trends cannot predict everything, however, experts say. Questions remain about how long immunity can last, and even in the best cases, there are bound to remain places where the virus can and will take hold, as each new wave has shown.
Latest COVID-19 data
South Carolina health officials reported 684 total cases of COVID-19 Oct. 25, with 562 confirmed. A total of three new deaths, two confirmed, were also reported Monday.
With 37,391 tests reported, 4.6% were confirmed positive.
Over the weekend, DHEC confirmed 1,119 new cases, with 534 confirmed Saturday and 585 confirmed Sunday. A total of 78 new deaths were confirmed over the weekend, with 32 deaths confirmed Saturday and 46 deaths confirmed Sunday.
Percentage of S.C. residents with at least one vaccine: 62.2%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 54.5%
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