Lyon County Public Health is asking residents to keep up on COVID-19 vaccines as indications are COVID is at high levels in the community, even as official numbers are down from last week.
On Wednesday, Public Health announced 61 new cases, down from 79 in the report from Sept. 14. Numbers had been in the 80s and low 90s since early August. Deaths remained steady at 125.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says the current round of COVID activity involves more breakthrough cases — people who have been vaccinated — and that’s largely due to how both the body and viruses work. Viruses get more effective as vaccine protection wanes, so Millbern is asking residents to get vaccinated and stay vaccinated — especially with the new “bivalent” booster now available.
This advice comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are listing Lyon and Greenwood counties as having high transmission rates. Lyon County now has a case rate of 241 per 100,000 residents, with 12 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 and nearly 4 percent of inpatient beds used by COVID patients. Greenwood County has similar numbers in all three categories.
All other counties are currently low to moderate.
For more information locally about COVID-19 or to set appointments, go online to www.publichealth.lyoncounty.org.