Health department reports 22 active COVID-19 cases

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The Perry County Health Department is reporting 22 active COVID-19 cases and a seven-day rolling average of 2.9 as of July 25. This is up slightly from the previous reporting cycle, which had 12 active cases.
The county is reporting a seven-day positivity rate of 11.8 percent, which is 84th among Missouri counties.
Perry County is showing a rate of 83.6 cases per 100,000 residents, which is 96th among Missouri’s 114 counties. Data is showing 16 new cases via the PCR testing method and just one using the antigen method in the past week.
Perry County has had 28.5 percent of its population complete vaccination and 31.8 percent to initiate vaccination, according to data compiled by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. There have been 254 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the past week.
A total of 6,084 Perry County residents have initiated vaccine while 5,456 have “completed vaccination,” according to the MDHSS.
Health department director Liz House reported a clinic earlier this month was well received.
“Our Pzifer clinic last week was so successful, we decided to host another Pfizer clinic at our office next Monday, August 2nd,” House said. “Approximately 60 vaccines will be offered. Second doses for this clinic will be on August 23rd.”
House reported there has been an uptick in vaccine participation for those age 12-14 and 15-24.

“Historically, percentage for initiated vaccines in the 12-14 and 15-24 age groups have only been going up around 0.5 percent each week,” House said. “This week, these percentages increased 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.”
A reported 2.96 of residents age 12-14 have been fully vaccinated while 13.36 percent of those ages 15-24 are fully vaccinated.
A reported 33 percent of county residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated while at least 37.1 percent have received at least one dose.
Of the population age 18 and above, 40.4 percent have received one dose while 36.1 percent are listed as fully vaccinated.
A total of 65.9 percent of Perry County residents age 65 and older fall into the fully vaccinated category while another 70.3 percent have been given at least one vaccine dose.
In recent weeks, the health department has been utilizing an alert system to inform the public of additional vaccine.
“I don’t know the exact date we started using the Nixle alert system,” House said. “We use it as a last resort to get information out about leftover vaccines at the end of a clinic in order to try to prevent wastage of COVID vaccine. We typically reach out to the Emergency Management Director to get that message out.”
Missouri is one of multiple states to offer an incentive or possible prize for those getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Three separate pools for individuals to enter. One is for those 18 and older who received a shot prior to July 21. Another is for those 18 and older who received a vaccination after July 21. A third category is offering a chance to receive $10,000 in education savings through Missouri’s MOST 529 program.
An update by the Centers for Disease Control July 27 encouraged vaccinated individuals to continue to wear masks indoors in public if in an area known to have substantial or high transmission.