One of the bigger understatements of the past two years may well be the impact coronavirus has had on life, both across the KVOE listening area and around the world.
Here in Lyon County, COVID-19 has infected almost a third of the estimated population since it came to the county on March 21, 2020. It has also killed over 100 people, created numerous adjustments for healthcare facilities, businesses and nonprofits and it has caused governments at all levels to modify their own operations and budgets.
Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says health officials one of the essential lessons of the pandemic include effective communication — and the drawbacks of misinformation.
Millbern says Public Health is constantly reviewing its response to the virus, and she says transparency is always a focal point.
Officially, Lyon County is at 10,134 total cases and 116 deaths, with vaccination rates at 61 percent for eligible residents ages 5-plus and 57 percent overall.
For neighboring counties, the total caseload is just under 12,000 with 140 deaths. Osage County leads in both categories with over 3,800 cases and 47 deaths. Chase County has the fewest cases with under 700 and deaths with seven. Morris County has the highest areawide vaccination rates — 58 percent for eligible residents and 54 percent overall. Chase County has the lowest vaccination rates at 46 percent for eligible residents and 44 percent overall.
