While they would like to rank higher across the state, administrators of Lyon County Public Health are pleased with the current vaccination rate amongst county residents.
During Public Health’s most recent report to Lyon County Commissioners Wednesday morning, Incident Commander Renee Hively reported the county currently has a vaccination rate of 61 percent amongst all eligible residents. This ranks the county 13th across the state of Kansas which Hively says is favorable, however, she is hopeful the percentage will continue to rise in the coming weeks.
Hively says continued education will be crucial in making that happen.
Public Health Officer Dr. Ladun Oyenuga says she attributes the current rate, in part, to the recent approval of vaccinations for younger residents.
On a separate, but related note, the county is beginning to see an uptick in the number of COVID-19 related deaths after experiencing somewhat of a holding pattern on that front for several months. The current death rate is 92 with several cases pending final cause information from KDHE.
Dr. Oyenuga stated that Public Health is saddened by this trend and offered her condolences to those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic. Dr. Oyenuga says while she would not wish for anyone to lose a friend or family member to the virus, she is hopeful that the recent increase in deaths may encourage residents to consider becoming vaccinated in an effort to keep the death toll from increasing any further.
In other business Wednesday, commissioners gave direction for Lyon County Chief Judge Merlin Wheeler to begin moving forward with the installation of digital docket displays within the county courthouse. The displays will present information on upcoming hearing dates, times and locations much like an arrival and departure board inside of an airport.
Word on the exact cost and installation timeline for the new displays are currently pending. Wheeler says there will be a total of five displays with four located on the third floor of the courthouse and one on the ground floor near the main lobby.
The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for its weekly action session at 9 am next Thursday inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
