After our peak of 305 cases in September, Jefferson County recorded 164 cases in October and 139 in November. The other good news is vaccines are now available locally for everyone 5 years old and older.
Unfortunately, we still have a high case rate. The very contagious and potentially more serious strain, Delta, is the dominate form of Covid-19 in Washington and the U.S. Scientists are currently assessing Omicron, the new strain discovered in South Africa with many mutations which may prove to be significant.
Currently, about three out of four new cases in our county are in unvaccinated people. Getting vaccinated makes it much less likely that you’ll be infected or get a serious case if you do get infected. Plus, vaccines and masks help all of us stay healthier during the holiday season.
Please note that Jefferson Healthcare Hospital’s workforce is down about 25%, which isn’t enough to operate its 25 regular beds and six ICU beds. On multiple occasions, it has been operating about 15 regular beds and four ICU beds, and they’ve been 100% full. By taking common sense actions to reduce your chances of getting Covid-19, you also make it more likely that people with heart attacks, car wreck injuries, or other emergencies can get the care they need with the limited resources we have for the foreseeable future.
