The 14-day positivity rate for Covid-19 testing among Greene County residents increased in the past 24 hours up to 11.3 percent as of Wednesday morning, Dec. 9, reported Greene County director of public health Becky Wolf. Nine new cases were diagnosed in the previous 24 hours.
The total number of cases in the county is 590. Of those, 227 are active cases and 363 persons are considered “recovered.” There have been 70 new cases in the past 14 days, 35 in the past seven days, and 16 in the past three days.
Twenty-nine percent of the total patients had no pre-existing health condition and 51 percent had no Covid symptoms.
Breakdown for age groups for Greene County positive cases is as follows:
- 0-18 years: 16 percent
- 19-39 years: 28 percent
- 40-59 years: 32 percent
- 60-74 years: 21 percent
- 80 and older: 5 percent
Positive cases by zip code are:
- Jefferson: 328
- Scranton: 77
- Churdan: 40
- Grand Junction: 43
- Rippey: 25
- Paton: 33
- Dana: 1
- Coon Rapids: 5
- Bagley: 6
- Jamaica: 5
- Perry: 3
- Lake City: 1
- Gowrie: 2
Greene County public health strong urges residents to celebrate Christmas at home with the people they live with. Getting together with family and friends outside the immediate household increases the changes of getting or spreading both Covid-19 and influenza. Risk factors include:
- Community levels of COVID-19: Refer to www.coronavirus.iowa.gov for more information.
- Exposure during travel: Airports, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are places to be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces.
- Location: Indoor gatherings, especially small enclosed spaces with no outside air, pose more risk than outdoor gatherings.
- Duration: Being within six feet of someone who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more greatly increases the risk of becoming sick and requires quarantine.
- Number and crowding of people: The more people attending, the more risk of infection.
- Behaviors of attendees prior to gatherings: Those who did not consistently practice social distancing, mask wearing and handwashing pose more risk to others.
- Behaviors of attendees during the gatherings: Having fewer or no preventative measures in place poses increased risk. Use of alcohol or drugs may alter judgement and make it more difficult to practice safety measures.
