WEEKLY COVID-19 UPDATE 11/4/2021

Lincoln County, Missouri remains in the high community transmission category. We are still adding about 22 cases per day. As a reminder, there are 4 transmission categories: low, moderate, substantial, and high. To drop to the next transmission category, we would need the positivity rate to be below 10% AND cases per 100,000 to be below 100.

The 7-day PCR positivity rate is 10.2%, at this time last week it was 8.4%. We are seeing the positivity rate creep back up slightly. Cases per 100,000 in Lincoln County are at 185, up from 161 last week. In order to be considered a community with low transmission, this number should be less than 10. Our number of active cases (individuals who are in isolation for COVID-19 infection) is at 138. Last week this number was at 124.

Good news- the Winfield testing site is being continued by DHSS. It will be open every Wednesday from 10 am until 6pm in the County Market parking lot.

Next is breakthrough data. The rate of breakthrough cases in October was about 14.3%. This means that 85.7% of COVOD-19 cases occurred in individuals who were not fully vaccinated. The overall rate of breakthrough cases from mid-June until now is about 12.0%.

We want to remind you that breakthrough cases don’t mean the vaccine isn’t working. These vaccines are not 100% effective, and with a high amount of virus circulating in the community, it means everyone is exposed more.

The FDA and CDC recently authorized COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5-11. Now is a great time to talk with your child’s pediatrician and get them protected before the holidays. We are holding a 5-11 vaccine clinic on Wednesday of next week, on November 10th. You can sign up on our website. It will take place from noon until 5pm.

Pediatric cases currently make up about 29% of our active cases, which is a much better number than we have seen in the past. At its highest, this rate was about 49% during early October. Last year around this time, this age group only made up 15% of total cases.

The age group with the largest percent increase in cases this week is the 0-9 age group. This age group saw a 3.21% increase over last week.

Zip codes in Foristell (63348), Truxton (63381), and Hawk Point (63349) had the highest increases this week.

The rate of Lincoln County residents who have completed COVID-19 is 37.5%. Now is a great time to start your primary vaccination series if you want to be fully vaccinated by Christmas!