September 10, 2021 - COVID-19 News Archive (for the week end of September 10, 2021)

Current News (as of the week end of September 10, 2021)

• Mesa County Cases
  • Total Positive Cases -20,181  (increase of 45 from the previous day) 
  • One Week Average Positivity Rate - 6.6% 
  • One-Week Cumulative Incidence Rate - 233.60
  • Two Week Case Count - 929
  • Delta Variant Cases - 1,151
  • Recovered Cases - 19,400
  • Hospitalizations - 28
  • Deaths - Unfortunately, there has been 188 deaths in the county. 
    • ​​For the full update, the Community Impact dashboard, and the COVID-19 symptom dashboard, please visit this page.​​​​​​

• Vaccine Distribution in Mesa County 
  • ​Total Doses Given: 121,432
    • Number of First Doses Administered: 59,933
    • Total Number of Second Doses Administered: 61,499

• Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Gets Full FDA Approval - From MCPH: The Food and Drug Administration has given full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine. The approval is for individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization, including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose of certain immunocompromised individuals. To view the full update from MCPH, you can visit this link. 

• Weekly COVID-19 Update from MCPH - As always, here are a few highlights from Mesa County Public Health’s (MCPH) weekly update on COVID-19. The full report can be found here. 
  • COVID-19 Case Trends 
    • Community transmission remains high, with a decline in average daily cases. 
    • Four weeks ago, the average daily case count was 33, in the most recent week, the average daily case count is 21. 
  • Delta Variant Spread 
    • ​There are 1,002 cases of Delta variant in Mesa County.
    • The rate of new Delta variant cases has remained relatively steady in recent weeks but has plummeted since our peak in early July.
    • Available vaccines can reduce severe illness, including hospitalization and death, associated with all COVID-19 strains, including emerging variants.  
  • Vaccination and Testing Efforts 
    • ​Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is quick and easy, plan for about 30 minutes.
    • The Community Vaccination Site, located at 510 29 ½ Road, accepts walk-ins for COVID-19 vaccine. 
    • Hours of operation are Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
    • All three vaccine types are available, residents are able to choose which vaccine they would like. 
    • Testing is free.  
    • The Mesa County community COVID-19 testing site offers the Cue test, a highly accurate, rapid COVID-19 test. Results are available in about 20 minutes. 

• MCPH Update on Mask Guidance - Recently,  MCPH released an update on mask recommendations following the Center for Disease Controls new recommendations. The full report can be found at this link. A few notes from the update, MCPH continues to recommend that unvaccinated individuals wear masks in public settings, stay at home when you are sick, and get vaccinated to protect against COVID-19 and variants. 

• MCPH Begins Administering 3rd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine to Immunocomprimised Individuals - From Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) this week: After approval from the Food and Drug Administration and guidance from Centers for Disease Control, Mesa County Public Health will administer third/booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to immunocompromised individuals beginning Wednesday, August 18. The CDC recommends people whose immune systems are moderately to severely compromised receive an additional m-RNA COVID-19 vaccine at least four weeks after their second doses. Additional doses are free. No ID, insurance, or proof of medical history is required to receive an additional dose. The full release from MCPH can be found here. 

• Family Health West Hosting Weekly Vaccine Clinics - Each week, Family Health West is hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. These clinics are open to the public and the vaccine is completely free. Registration is required, and the link to register and more information can be found at FHW’s website here. ​

• Current Key Messaging
  • Avoid the three Cs: 
    • Closed spaces with poor ventilation 
    • Crowded places with many people nearby 
    • Closed-contact settings such as conversations in close proximity to others.  
  • Maintain a bikes distance apart 
  • Accessorize with a mask
  • Keep it clean and wash your hands frequently 
  • Take the COVID test - it's easy and fast! 
  • Just stay home if you're not feeling well.  
  • If you are interested, get vaccinated! Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic.  

• COVID-19 Hotlines ​
  • Mesa County Public Health COVID-19 Hotline:  970-683-2300
  • State of Colorado Vaccine Hotline: 1-877-268-2926