Weather conditions in Tennessee and Kentucky may delay shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine to South Carolina and other southeastern states.
A major winter storm hit several southern states, leaving dangerous road conditions behind and causing huge power cuts.
The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control said the delays were likely to occur on February 16 and 17.
“Hospitals and other facilities that receive vaccine shipments directly from the federal government must frequently check the tracking numbers provided to them for their weekly shipments,” said DHEC in a tweet.
The agency said it will send updates to providers and the public as more information becomes available.
DHEC reported that 689,188 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the state.
State figures
New cases reported: 868 confirmed, 45 likely.
Total cases in SC: 428,684 confirmed, 61,769 probable.
Positive percentage: 5.9 percent.
New deaths reported: 16 confirmed, 6 probable.
Total deaths in SC: 7,196 confirmed, 859 probable.
Percentage of ICU beds occupied: 73.6 percent.
How does SC rank in vaccines administered by 100,000 people?
45 as of February 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most affected areas
In the total number of new confirmed cases, Greenville, Horry and Spartanburg counties recorded the highest totals.
What about the tri-county?
Charleston County had 59 new cases on February 16, while Berkeley counted 21 and Dorchester saw 16.
Deaths
Each of the new confirmed deaths reported occurred among people aged 65 and over.
Hospitalizations
Of the 1,230 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on February 16, 303 were in the ICU and 167 were using ventilators.
What do the experts say?
The CDC encourages people to continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, stand 1.8 meters away from others and avoid poorly ventilated spaces. Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC’s chief epidemiologist, said that now is not the time to relax these preventive measures.
The CDC released guidelines this week recommending that the use of two tightly fitting masks on top of each other increases their effectiveness.
It is recommended that people living in the community get tested for COVID-19 once a month or earlier if they develop symptoms or live with someone who is positive for the virus.
