The CDC says people don’t need to mask up as much for COVID in these SC counties now

Patrick McCreless
Contributed photo

There are six fewer counties with high levels of COVID-19 in South Carolina than there were a week ago, federal health officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest community levels map shows 26 counties with high levels of COVID-19. A week earlier, the CDC reported 32 counties with high rates.

The latest map also shows 16 counties with medium levels and four counties with low levels.

The CDC recommends communities with high levels of COVID-19 wear masks indoors in public and on public transportation. It also recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms and, if you are at high risk for severe illness, to take additional precautions.

For communities at medium levels, the CDC recommends people wear masks if they have symptoms, have had a positive test or were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.

The latest South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control statistics show that as of Aug. 13, cases of COVID-19 were down 22.3% over the previous week. Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 were up 1.1% over the previous week.

Meanwhile, completed vaccinations for the virus were up 4.1%, week over week.

Here are the 26 counties with high COVID-19 levels, according to the CDC.

  • Anderson

  • Greenville

  • Oconee

  • Pickens

  • Spartanburg

  • Cherokee

  • Union

  • Laurens

  • Newberry

  • Fairfield

  • Richland

  • Lexington

  • Hampton

  • Beaufort

  • Charleston

  • Dorchester

  • Berkeley

  • Georgetown

  • Horry

  • Marion

  • Florence

  • Dillon

  • Marlboro

  • Darlington

  • Colleton

  • Williamsburg

Here are the 16 counties with medium COVID-19 levels.

  • McCormick

  • Edgefield

  • Chesterfield

  • Greenwood

  • Aiken

  • Jasper

  • York

  • Chester

  • Lancaster

  • Kershaw

  • Bamburg

  • Orangeburg

  • Calhoun

  • Abbeville

  • Allendale

  • Clarendon

Here are the four counties with low COVID-19 levels.

  • Lee County

  • Barnwell

  • Saluda

  • Sumter

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