DHEC Director Calls Virus Surge in S.C. "Alarming"
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 4:20PM Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The surge in the omicron variant of COVID-19 is "flat out alarming" according to Brannon Traxler, the director of public health for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control.
Anderson County has reported 658 new cases in the past seven days, a jump of 45.25 percent. Statewide 24,014 new cases were reported for the same time period. Data gathered does not reflect home test results, which are suspected to be a growing player in testing. No statewide or national figures are available for the number of at-home tests sold in recent weeks, but shortages indicate the number is substantial.
Anderson County Council will move the first meeting of 2022 Tuesday at 6 p.m. to the civic center to provide greater social distancing for those attending.
Traxler on Thursday said the state is at a "crucial point in the pandemic" and urged South Carolinians to take measures - inlcuding full vaccination schedules with boosters - to protect themselves and others against omicron, which currently posts a statewide positive rate of 20.5 percent. Avoiding crowds on New Year's Eve could also help control the spread, Traxler said.
“We do not want to start 2022, our third year of Covid-19, with record numbers of hospitalizations and death," said Traxler. "But we’re unfortunately headed in that direction if we don’t change things.”