COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in Atchison County

Atchison County’s COVID-19 cases are on the rise once again. There were 12 new cases reported from July 26, 2021, through August 2, 2021:

2 males – ages 20-29

1 female, 1 male – ages 40-49

1 male – age 50-59

1 female, 3 males – ages 60-69

2 females, 1 male – ages 70-79

As of August 2, Atchison County has had 488 total cases and 13 deaths. Eight cases are currently active. There is one active COVID-19 hospitalization in our local hospital. The current 7-day testing positivity rate is 12.0%.

COVID-19 TESTING

Atchison County Health Department continues to have BinaxNOW test kits and are available for testing by appointment Monday through Thursday. These tests are FREE. The rapid antigen test provides results within 15 minutes after collecting the sample. This is a great option in identifying positives before going to school or work, so that the health department does not have to quarantine multiple people due to exposure. Health department workers are available and in the office by 7:30 a.m. each morning. Please call 660-736-4121 if you are in need of testing.

Missouri Department of Health has free at-home test kits that can be ordered online. Visit https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseasescom-municable/novel-coronavir-u-s/community-testphp#self-collection to find out more information about those kits and how to order.

COVID VACCINE

UPDATES

6th and 9th in the

State of Missouri

Together, our community has made great progress in protecting ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19. Atchison County is ranked sixth in the state with 40.2% of residents completing vaccinations and ranked ninth in the state with 43.7% of residents receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. In total, 3,932 doses have been given in Atchison County. For details see: https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/data/.

We still have more work to do to get to heard immunity where we can experience the benefits of reduced community spread: seeing friends and family members, enjoying summer and safely getting kids back to school this fall.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Atchison County Health Department has Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines available. COVID-19 vaccines are FREE. Walk-ins are welcome. Pfizer is the vaccine available for those ages 12 years of age and older. Anyone age 12-17 will need an adult present during the vaccination. Any student wishing to be fully vaccinated by the time school starts will need to have the 1st dose of Pfizer started as soon as possible. To find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, go to www.vaccines.gov and type in your zip code. You can also narrow the search down by type of vaccine and search radius.

If any businesses have employees interested in the COVID vaccine, Atchison County Health Department will come to you. Please call 660-736-4121. If you know of any home-bound individuals needing a COVID-19 vaccination, please reach out at 660-736-4121.

MO VIP: Missouri

Vaccine Incentive

Program

MO VIP is our state’s vaccine incentive program – rewarding those who have already chosen or will choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services will partner with the Missouri Lottery to draw 180 winners in 5 randomized drawings who will win either $10,000 cash or $10,000 towards an education savings account. In total, the state will award 900 individuals throughout the incentive program. Registration opened July 21, 2021. For more info: https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/win/. For a direct link to the registration form: https://movaccineincentive.azure-web-sites.net/.

For those without internet access, please call the COVID hotline at 877-435-8411 to provide your information and verbal consent over the phone.

COVID-19 Vaccine Community

Assessment Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P55RQV8

The health department is collecting data from Atchison County residents regarding their feelings about COVID-19 vaccination. The survey is anonymous, so feel free to share your honest opinions. There are only 16 questions, so it won’t take long. If you’ve already been vaccinated, we’d still love to hear from you!

Note: Once you have completed the survey, don’t feel obligated to complete any other surveys through Survey Monkey. Once you’re done, you’re done.

Keep Variants at Bay. Get Vaccinated Today.

Atchison County has been made aware that the Delta variant is in our county. Detecting the Delta variant, or other variants, requires a special type of testing called genomic sequencing. Due to the volume of COVID-19 cases, sequencing is not performed on all viral samples. So far, we have been notified of the Delta strain in three Atchison County cases. However, because the Delta variant now accounts for the majority of COVID-19 cases in the United States, there is a strong likelihood that a positive test result indicates infection with the Delta variant.

What We Know

Unvaccinated people are most at risk of contracting COVID-19, including any of its variants. The Delta variant is more aggressive than other known variants and spreads most rapidly in communities with fewer fully vaccinated people. The absolute best protection for yourself and those close to you is getting fully vaccinated.

If you have been fully vaccinated and you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you should get tested 3-5 days after your exposure. You should also wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until your test result is negative. You should isolate for 10 days if your test result is positive.

COVID-19 IN ATCHISON COUNTY

7-26-21

FATALITIES 13

ACTIVE CASES 8

CASES REMOVED

FROM ISOLATION 467

TOTAL CASES 488

MALE 224

FEMALE 264

UNDER 19 YEARS 61

20-29 YEARS 46

30-39 YEARS 56