9/17/2021 Weekly COVID-19 Update

Cases in Lincoln County, MO have continued to rapidly rise since we were designated a hotspot by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service (DHSS). DHSS has sponsored a testing site on Wednesdays in Winfield throughout the month of September.

45% of active cases are in the ages 0-18. At this time last year, 18% of active cases were in the ages of 0-18. This age group makes up 27% of the total population in Lincoln County. The increase in disease burden on children is concerning. LCHD reminds the community that the Delta variant is twice as transmissible as the variant that was spreading last year.

LCHD encourages parents to send their children to school with masks, even if it is not required. This will help to cut down on student sickness and quarantines. In the school setting, if both parties are more than 3 feet apart and properly/consistently wearing masks, they can still attend school.

Our 7-day PCR positivity rate is 14.0%, at this time last week it was 14.2%. Cases per 100,000 in Lincoln County are at 441, up from 393 last week. When we started the month of August, this number was 264. In order to be considered a community with low transmission, this number should be less than 10. Our active cases (individuals who are in isolation for COVID-19 infection) is at 342. Last week this number was at 392 and when we started the month of August, this number was at 192.

The Lincoln County Health Department strongly encourages individuals to take precautions to prevent getting or spreading COVID-19. Please get vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in public, improve air flow, and get tested if you are having symptoms. If you have questions about the vaccine, you can view more details on our website or the CDC website.

LCHD has daytime COVID-19 vaccine clinics every week day. We also have evening vaccine clinic appointments available in September. Our evening clinics run until 7 p.m. The remaining dates are:

· Wednesday September 22nd, 2021

· Tuesday September 28th, 2021

You can make an appointment by clicking here