| Herald-Journal
With more people being vaccinated and COVID-related cases and deaths declining in South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster said on Friday that some restrictions are no longer needed.
On Friday, McMaster ended the state approval process for events with more than 250 people and allowed bars and restaurants to re-sell alcohol after 11:00 pm, starting on Monday.
The governor cited the decline in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the increase in vaccinations as the reasons.
As a result, “I believe that these targeted and limited security measures are no longer needed,” he said in a press release.
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He warned that, with the virus still present, “we must continue to make responsible decisions to take care of ourselves and our loved ones – but these are decisions that South Carolina must make.
“I recommend that you continue to wear a mask, stay six feet away, stay home and away from others if you are ill and, when your time comes, get a safe and effective vaccine,” he said.
As of Friday, there were a total of 515,072 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 across the state since the pandemic began last March.
The weekly number of total cases reported across the state dropped consistently in the past month. The week of January 30 saw 24,420 new cases; February 6, 18,596 cases; February 13, 16,563 cases; February 20, 11,894 cases.
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The number of weekly deaths reported across the state also declined from an increase of 503 in the week of January 23; to 434 deaths in the week of January 30; 364 deaths in the week of February 6; 265 deaths in the week of February 13; and 183 deaths in the week of February 20.
Since last March and through Friday, Greenville County has reported 860 COVID-related deaths; Spartanburg County 698 deaths; Anderson County, 456 deaths; and Pickens County 265 deaths.
Meanwhile, on Friday, DHEC reported that a total of 944,317 doses of the vaccine were administered across the state, an increase of 191,038 doses over the previous week.
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DHEC reported that 619,884 people across the state received their first dose, an increase of 63,959 over the previous week.
And 248,924 people across the state received both doses, an increase of 52,069 over the previous week.
Locally, DHEC reported that Spartanburg County reported 28,768 vaccinations administered by Friday and Greenville County 128,573 vaccinations.
Contact Bob Montgomery at [email protected]