After seeing a record 305 new cases in September, Jefferson County recorded only 164 new cases in October. However, our case rate is still very high, in part because the Delta variant can quickly spread in households, places of work, etc. Health officials continue to urge that everyone wear masks in indoor public places and maintain social distance. About 74% of new COVID-19 infections locally are in people who are not fully vaccinated. Many of these cases involve household transmission or contact with someone who has traveled out of state. While people 0 to 19 years old account for just 14% of our population, they represent 25% of our total COVID-19 infections. Fortunately, vaccines for children 5 to 11 years old will be available shortly in Jefferson County. Meanwhile, people 60 and over account for 46% of our population but just 25% of our total COVID-19 infections. Of those 65 and over in our county, about 91% were fully vaccinated as of November 1.
