County seeing increase in COVID cases, deaths, vaccine demand

Published 7:08 pm Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Beaufort County Health Director Jim Madson told the Beaufort County Commissioners on Tuesday that the county is continuing to see increases in COVID-19 case counts, hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths, and demand for vaccines is growing as well.

As of Wednesday, the county’s seven-day average case rate is 47.7. That number has continued to grow since dipping into the single digits as recently as July. The county recorded five COVID-19-related deaths in August, its highest total since February. The county’s current COVID death toll is 108. Health officials know of 600 active cases among Beaufort County residents. Twenty-seven of those individuals are hospitalized; three are on a ventilator.

Madson said the county’s vaccination rate has grown to around 400 per week. Just over half (52.3%) of the county’s total population has been at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, and 45.8% has been fully vaccinated. In terms of the county’s adult population, 63% has been partially vaccinated and 55.5% has been fully vaccinated. Approximately 25% of the population ages 12-17 has been partially vaccinated, and 17.3% of that age group is fully vaccinated.

From June 1 to Sept. 8, the county has recorded 1,276 positive cases. Of those, 90% were unvaccinated.