Coronavirus updates for April 26: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back each week for updates.
More than 1,400 COVID cases added in SC last week
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, April 25, reported 1,421 COVID-19 cases for the week ending April 22 and 10 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending April 15.
The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
An estimated 1.85 million coronavirus cases have been reported in the Palmetto State, and more than 19,800 people have died since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID-19 cases increased 0.8% from last week.
As of April 23, 93 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 61 hospitals reporting), including nine patients in intensive care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Going forward, DHEC said it will use “the CDC data for South Carolina to show our state’s Inpatient Bed Usage and Intensive Care Unit Bed Usage statistics.”
Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounted for about 70% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending April 8, data shows. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to find out about new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.
The state’s latest vaccination numbers show 54% of eligible South Carolina residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and just over 62% have received at least one dose.
This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 6:57 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates for April 26: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week."