Lexington County COVID case rate spiking again

Posted 12/16/22

With Christmas around the corner, Lexington County is on the cusp of once again being recommended to mask against COVID-19.

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Lexington County COVID case rate spiking again

Posted

With Christmas around the corner, Lexington County is on the cusp of once again being recommended to mask against COVID-19.

The county’s case rate spiked two weeks ago, according to the data that goes into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Levels, which are used to make recommendations on whether people in a county should bask against the virus.

The levels are updated weekly using the latest data in each U.S. county.

After dropping to 74.98 new cases per 100,000 people in the seven days leading up to Nov. 17, the rate in Lexington County went from 88.37 to 202.18 to 202.51 in the last three weeks. 

A rate above 200 per 100,000 people automatically raises a county’s level to at least medium, which brings with it a recommendation that people with symptoms, a positive test or that have been exposed to someone with COVID should mask in indoor public spaces. A high level triggers a recommendation for all people in a county, regardless of COVID status or pre-existing conditions, to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Both levels also bring a recommendation to mask on public transportation.

These recommendations come from both the CDC and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

In each of the last two weeks, the county has flirted with a high level, hitting close to the dividing line in one of the two metrics that determine whether counties with a rate higher than 200 get a high or medium classification.

Last week, the number of new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 people was nine, this week it was 7.7. If the number were 10 or higher, the county’s level would be high.

In the other metric, the percentage of inpatient beds in use by COVID patients, the county remains well below the dividing line between medium and high, which is 10% or higher. Last week, the county was at 3.4%, this week it was 2.7%.

Before Dec. 8, the county’s level had been low for 10 straight weeks. The last time the county had a high level and was given a universal recommendation to mask in public indoors was Sept. 15.



Levels across the state are also seeing a rise, with nine counties having a medium level this week, and two (Spartanburg and Union) having a high level. All of Lexington County’s neighbors have a low level.

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