Clark County Combined Health District health commissioner Charles Patterson said that health officials are approaching the point where they can officially say the county has reached its delta variant peak, but the next few weeks will tell.
“That doesn’t mean run around without your masks on… it means the stuff we’ve been doing is working,” he said. He pointed to area schools using face masks during the day and the subsequent 75% drop in quarantines.
Patterson updated the community on the state of the coronavirus in Clark County during his weekly livestream.
“We need to continue to be very careful,” Patterson said.
The health commissioner noted that hospitalizations for COVID-19 have not been in decline. As of the beginning of the pandemic, 604 COVID-19 hospitalizations have been reported in the county. Patterson also said that statewide, hospitals have been at their busiest in terms of children with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.
In Clark County, 334 COVID-19 deaths have been reported.
“Those are more than statistics,” Patterson said. “Those are real people who have real meaning to us.”
This week, Lt. Brian Aller -- commander for the Springfield post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol -- passed away after being hospitalized with COVID-19. Denise Williams, who is the president of the local chapter of the NAACP and who was co-host to Patterson’s livestream, shared her condolences for the passing of Aller.
Williams also encouraged viewers to get vaccinated against the virus.
“So many have died around me, personally,” she said.
As of Friday afternoon, roughly 45.1% of Clark County’s population has completed the vaccine series, according to ODH. Patterson added that 52.3% of the eligible population in Clark County (those 12 years of age and older) has been vaccinated, and a total of 729 people got third or booster doses this week.
Boosters are available by appointment only for eligible people. A pool of fully-vaccinated people who received the Pfizer vaccine series are eligible for a booster dose. They include:
- People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty series.
- People ages 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty series.
- People ages 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
- People ages 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks. Underlying conditions include the following: underlying health conditions including: cancer, asthma, HIV infection, liver disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathies or a heart condition.
The booster serves as another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who initially built enough protection after receiving a vaccine. However, that protection decreases over time, and the additional dose of the vaccine boosts a person’s immune system, better equipping it to fight off a virus, according to the CDC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this month to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered six months or longer after completion of the primary vaccine series (two doses)
Individuals who have previously received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or the two-dose Moderna vaccine are not yet eligible to receive a booster dose.
The CCCHD COVID-19 Vaccination Center at 110 W. Leffel Lane in Springfield is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Those seeking a booster dose can call 937-717-2439 to schedule an appointment.
By the Numbers:
45.1: Percentage of Clark County residents who have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series
18,606: Total number of coronavirus cases reported in Clark County
334: Total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Clark County
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