New cases of COVID-19 continue to climb. The relentless march of the Delta variant, particularly in states with low vaccination rates, is to blame, according to health officials.
As of Aug. 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 35,286,935 total cases in the U.S. and 612,386 deaths.
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On that same day in Georgia, where new cases had dropped below 1,000 per day a few weeks ago, 6,480 new cases were reported, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 942,887. South Carolina reported 1,651 new cases, with a positivity rate of 19.7%, pushing their total cases to 512,440.
Hospitalizations are also climbing. At Augusta University Medical Center, where inpatients had dropped below 10 by late May, there were 57 COVID-19 patients on Aug. 4. University Hospital numbers have climbed sharply as well, from 49 inpatients on Aug. 2 to 72 on Aug. 5.
Those increases have prompted University Hospital to announce new visitor restrictions, effective Aug. 9. Just one visitor per patient per day is allowed, with visitation hours from noon to 6 p.m. Visitors must be 18 or older, and visitors must wear masks at all times.
Doctors Hospital, where they had 24 inpatients on Aug. 2, climbed to 30 on Aug. 5. That hospital also has updated the visitation policy, effective Aug. 3. Visitation hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. One visitor per patient and visitors must be 18 years old or older.
AUMC, University Hospital and the City of Augusta all have upcoming vaccination clinics.
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AU’s clinic will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Aug. 12, at Washington Square. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be administered. To register, visit this website.
University Hospital’s clinic will also be on Aug. 12, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Moderna vaccine will be used. The second shot clinic will be Sept. 9, also at the hospital. To register, visit this website.
The City of Augusta will hold two clinics. The first will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 11 in the Linda Beazley room of the Municipal Building on Greene Street. The second, hosted by Augusta Transit, will be from 6a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Broad Street Transfer Station at 1546 Broad St. At both events, the Moderna vaccine will be available for people who are 18 years old and older. The Pfizer vaccine will be available for those aged 12 and older. No appointment is needed.
In the weekly South Carolina Department of Environmental Control’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Jonathon Knoche said, “Based on current rates of COVID-19 disease and risk of transmissions in South Carolina, most people should wear face masks while they’re indoors in public. That includes immunocompromised people.”
He said the Delta variant is the driving force behind new cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
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“As viruses mutate into different forms over time, they can become stronger. With the rise of the Delta variant, which causes one person to infect four times as many people as the previous variants, combined with lagging vaccination rates, that’s resulted in significantly more cases in South Carolina and across the country,” he said.
Knoche believes the numbers will continue to go up, especially in the most vulnerable communities — the unvaccinated and children.
Locations providing vaccinations in the Palmetto State can be searched here.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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