Greene County public health director Becky Wolf reported Monday, Aug. 23, that “as expected, we are seeing a significant increase in cases (of Covid 19) again.”
Per the CDC COVID Data Tracker (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view, the 7-day positivity rate for Covid 19 testing is 14.3 percent, increased from 11.3 percent on Aug. 20. Thirty-one new cases have been diagnosed in the past seven days, for a total of 957 cases. The level of community transmission is rated HIGH.
Still, vaccination rates remain stagnant, with 48.6 percent of the total population fully vaccinated against the virus. By age, 57.2 percent of children ages 12-17, 60.3 percent of adults age 18-64, and 88.9 percent of those 65 and older are fully vaccinated.
Wolf shared her concerns for Greene County:
- The Delta variant is predominately responsible for increased rates, resulting in more severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths in unvaccinated people
- Masking mandates for Iowa schools are banned, leaving students (and their parents) who prefer to mask open to teasing or “mask shaming”
- Students Pre-K through 5th grade who are under 12 years of age depend on our “community blanket of protection” provided those who are vaccinated.
- Anticipate increased absenteeism, cancelled activities, and serious/life-threatening outcomes for students, staff, and the public who are either unvaccinated or the immunocompromised vaccinated who may have weakened response to vaccines
- Healthcare worker fatigue, stress, mental health concerns are real. “We’re doing this over again and it could’ve been prevented!”
She also shared information about booster shots for those who received the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines:
Moderate-to-severe immunocompromised individuals should receive a third dose at least 28 days following dose #2.
Public health anticipates that beginning the week of Sept 20:
- General public should receive third dose eight months following dose #2, beginning with healthcare workers, residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities, etc.
- Vaccine supply plentiful; no priority groups this time
- Vaccines will be provided at PH-based and mass clinics, local pharmacies, provider clinics
- More information will be shared in coming weeks
Booster doses will be available as follows, but please call ahead:
- Local pharmacies: Hy-Vee (515-386-4151) and Medicap (515-386-2164)
- Greene County Public Health (515-386-3228)
- Greene County Family Medicine (515-386-0500)
- McFarland Clinic (515-386-4192)
