COLUMBIA, S.C. — New record high COVID-19 cases are being reported from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC).
The agency said the cases have been surging over the past week, with nearly 6,000 cases being reported on Thursday.
"This is flat out alarming for the state," Dr. Brannon Traxler, Director of Public Health, DHEC. "We do not want to start 2022, our third year of COVID-19, with record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. But we're unfortunately headed in that direction."
Dr. Traxler said people need to get vaccinated and their booster shots to prevent cases from getting worse.
"We're at a crucial moment in the pandemic," Dr. Traxler said.
Next week, schools return to class next week for their second semester. Health officials are concerned about a surge when returning to schools.
"We know that children need to be in person in school for multiple reasons," Dr. Traxler said. "So, I do think that putting kids back in school can be done safely. We know that all students and staff in schools now are eligible for vaccination. And so I really strongly encourage all staff and all parents of children to please get them vaccinated."
Some school districts in the Midlands said they will continue to monitor the COVID-19 data and will change their safety protocols if they need to.
"We're currently working with our lead nurse who is in contact with DHEC," said George Kiernan, the human resource director for Calhoun County School District. "We're strongly encouraging mask use, and masks are required for students on buses and any visitors who are coming into the building."
Lexington School District One also issued a statement reading:
"Lexington County School District One plans to return, as planned, to face-to-face instruction on Monday, January 3, 2022. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in Lexington County and our schools in the coming weeks. We plan to send our families and staff a communication this weekend to remind them of the school procedures we follow during periods of high community spread, as defined by DHEC. Those procedures can also be found on this webpage."
The Richland One School District already requires all staff and students to wear masks.
"When we return from winter break, we will review and assess the data and determine whether any adjustments need to be made to our COVID-19 mitigating strategies and safety protocols," the district said in a statement.