DHEC to shift from daily to weekly COVID-19 case reporting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Starting on March 15, the state health department will begin reporting COVID-19 data weekly instead of daily.

This change comes as DHEC shifts focus to living with an “acceptable” level of the virus in the community, department officials say.

“Tracking daily case numbers is less useful, especially with the rise of non-reportable at-home tests,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC’s Public Health Director.

DHEC will report positive cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations among other things every Tuesday starting next week.

Along with this, DHEC will continue to close their testing sites statewide. DHEC released this statement Friday about the closures and how people can continue to find testing:

“DHEC will continue to gradually close its COVID-19 testing vendor sites in several more counties across the state from March 14-April 1, but will continue providing free rapid at-home antigen tests at its public health departments statewide and will update its testing locator (LINK: https://scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-locations) in real time to show which locations have them in stock. Additionally, the federal government has expanded its at-home test program to offer every home in the U.S. two sets of four free at-home tests. If you already ordered your first set, order a second today.” (LINK: https://www.covidtests.gov/)

You can find a vaccination site near you on DHEC’s vaccine locator or by calling our Care Line at 1-855-472-3432.”

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