The percentage of vaccinations across the state of South Carolina per dose received by the federal government is above the national average, state health officials said on Wednesday.
The percentage of the state is 31%, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC, which is above the national average of 19% and almost double that of the other states in the Southeast.
South Carolina administered 35,158 vaccines out of 112,125 doses received, according to DHEC.
“We continue to successfully implement the carefully crafted statewide vaccination plan and the number of Phase 1a individuals who can currently receive the vaccine is increasing every week,” said Dr. Linda Bell, a state epidemiologist, in a communicated on Wednesday. “Our comprehensive The goal is to prevent further loss of life due to this deadly virus, and with the irreplaceable frontline medical workers and vulnerable residents and employees of long-term care institutions receiving vaccines, we are well on track to achieve that goal. “
Bell urged Southern Carolinians to stay home for the New Year to avoid a possible increase in large gatherings.
DHEC also confirmed 57 new cases of coronavirus in Aiken County on Wednesday, as well as a total of 2,323 cases and 42 deaths across the state.
The data released on Wednesday are for the date of December 28.
This brings the total confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in Aiken County to 7,770, with 115 coronavirus-related deaths.
Aiken County also reported a total of 1,266 likely cases of COVID-19 and 18 likely deaths related to the coronavirus.
Aiken Regional Medical Centers issued a statement on Wednesday, saying 904 cases of coronavirus in Aiken County were confirmed. Of those 904 individuals, 33 are currently receiving care at the hospital and 77 have died.
In the neighboring counties of Barnwell and Edgefield, 26 and four cases of the virus were confirmed, respectively, on Wednesday. There was also a confirmed and likely coronavirus-related death in Barnwell County.
According to DHEC’s acute hospital bed occupancy report, hospitals in Aiken County have an occupancy rate of 81.3%. 126 beds are occupied, while there are 29 open beds. Across the state, there are 2,001 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized.
The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC across the state on Wednesday was 7,391, and the positive percentage was 31.4%.
The total number of cases across the state is now 280,024, with 23,451 probable cases, 4,846 confirmed deaths and 403 probable deaths.