Covid positivity rate nudging back up, now at 4.2 percent
Greene County public health director Becky Wolf announced Friday that Greene County public health is now a Test Iowa pickup site for free, at-home Covid-19 saliva test kits. Persons who want more information or to obtain a kit can go to the Test Iowa website at testiowa.com and follow four simple steps:
- Get a kit (pick up site or directly sent to your residence)
- Collect sample
- Return sample at nearest UPS drop-off location
- Get results on Test Iowa patient portal or via email
According to the CDC, 58 percent of new Covid cases are from the delta variant, which is much more contagious and causes more severe illness than other strains of the virus.
There are serious concerns that this variant could result in a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, especially within the “shedder and spreader” youngsters who are either unvaccinated or too young to receive the vaccine.
“Greene County public health will continue to educate parents regarding the benefits of vaccination for their family members,” Wolf said. “We are all on the same page for keeping our kids in school and avoiding any unnecessary spread of COVID-19, resulting in potentially increased absence rates for student and staff.”
The 14-day positivity rate for Covid-19 testing is currently 4.2 percent in Greene County. There have been a total of 873 cases in the county.
A total of 4,107 county residents (42.6 percent) have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Wolf said the number of people seeking vaccination is essentially stagnant, especially in the adolescent and young adult age groups.
Greene County public health currently has the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines available.
Also, Greene County public health will offer back-to-school vaccine clinics for youngsters age 4-6 and 12-18 years of age, as there may be some who have fallen behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clinics will be held Wednesdays, Aug. 4 and 11, from 4 to 7 pm at public health on Level B of Greene County Medical Center. Appointments can be scheduled via the online JotForm link, which will be made available to the public on July 22. In addition to the age-required vaccines, public health will offer the Pfizer vaccine for the 12-18 year olds. The following will be provided, based on age and vaccine history:
Pre-K/Kindergartners:
- Vaccines (required for school entry)
- Lead/hemoglobin screens
- Dental screens/fluoride varnish
- Back-to-school backpacks
12-18 year-olds:
- Tdap
- Meningitis (Menveo and Bexsaro)
- HPV
- Hepatitis A
- Pfizer COVID-19
- Back-to-school backpacks
