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Monroe County’s COVID-19 vaccination rate among eligible residents rose to 56%, exceeding the state rate of 49.6%County health administrator Penny Caudill reported on Friday.
At least 50% of eligible residents in each of the county’s major zip codes are fully vaccinated, Caudill said during the COVID-19 bi-weekly update online from city, county and local officials. health care. But she is not satisfied with the slowness of the new vaccinations.
“We’re not at all close to where we want to be. We still have a lot of room for growth,” Caudill said, noting that although positive viral tests are still low locally compared to the peak pandemic, they are on the rise again. She encouraged unvaccinated people to find an option to get vaccinated by going to in.ourshot.gov. People can also find out where to get virus tests by visiting coronavirus.in.gov.
Caudill noted that there are many options available for getting the free vaccinations, including through health care providers and pharmacies, and the Monroe County Public Health Clinic, 333 E. Miller Drive, which offers a “Moderna Mondays” vaccination program.
Planned proximity vaccination clinics in the county include one at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Banneker Community Center, 930 W. Seventh St. The Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine and the Pfizer two-shot vaccine will be offered, said Caudill. Only Johnson & Johnson photos will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 31 at the Redeemer Community Church, 111 S. Kimble Drive.
A clinic is also tentatively scheduled for the city’s children’s exhibit on Saturday afternoon at the Switchyard Park Pavilion, she said, but details are still being worked out.
After:At current rate, Monroe County will not reach 70% vaccinated until June 2022
Caudill noted that public health nurses have administered more than 150 home vaccines to people confined to the house. She said appointments for this service should now be scheduled by calling 211 instead of going through the Zone 10 Agency on Aging.
IU Health South Central Region President Brian Shockney reported that the number of COVID-19 patients admitted has again increased at IU Health Bloomington Hospital and Monroe Hospital in recent weeks, as well as in other hospitals in the IU Health South Central Region. The numbers are still lower than the increase seen in mid-May.
He noted that there are disparities in vaccination rates among the 11 counties in the south-central region. Monroe County led by its numbers at 55.9%. Brown County’s rate was 45.7%, Owen County 38.3%, and Greene County 36.4%. Daviess County had the lowest rate in its region at 30.7%.
Shockney said the more contagious delta variant is becoming increasingly prevalent among Monroe County coronavirus cases, but the alpha version of the COVID-19 virus still accounts for 75% of the limited number of cases that have been the subject of extensive testing.
He urged those vaccinated to encourage their unvaccinated friends and associates to get vaccinated by sharing their own reasons for doing so and to avoid passing judgment. Shockney said IU Health can help dispel misinformation about immunization by sending people to speak to groups and answer their questions.
Precautions still needed with recent increase in cases
Replacing Mayor John Hamilton, city communications director Yael Ksander reported that about 56% of city workers submitted proof of vaccination and received an incentive payment of $ 100 to do so. The city is looking for new ways to motivate its employees to get vaccinated voluntarily, she said.
Ksander also noted that a canopy of lights was installed on a few blocks of East Kirkwood Avenue where traffic was blocked to allow restaurants to offer socially remote outdoor seating. She commended Downtown Bloomington and Cassidy Electric for partnering in creating a bubbly atmosphere for evening diners.
As the start of a new school year approaches, the state reported that 12 to 15 year olds have the lowest vaccination rate among different eligible age groups at 18.6%. Caudill noted that they were the last group to become eligible for vaccines and needed their parents’ consent to be vaccinated.
After:R-BB schools could make masks optional in the 2021-22 school year
With the number of COVID infections on the rise again, Caudill stressed that sick people with symptoms of coronavirus must still self-isolate for at least 10 days, or until they test negative, to avoid spread the disease. Anyone who has not been vaccinated and has had close contact with an infected person should self-quarantine, ideally for 14 days, and watch for symptoms.
Close contacts who are fully vaccinated do not need to be quarantined, she said, but they should monitor themselves for symptoms and take action if they develop.
She also indicated that with the recent increase in cases, even those vaccinated should take extra precautions such as wearing masks when in crowded areas where they do not know if others are vaccinated.
Speaking on behalf of the Monroe County Commissioners, Caudill announced that the county has extended additional funding for emergency rent, mortgage and utility bill assistance from township trustees until the end of the year in an effort to help those who are in financial difficulty because of the pandemic.
IU gears up for fall semester as students return closer
Kirk White, assistant vice president at Indiana University, reported that IU suspended attenuation testing this month because there had been so few positive results over the summer, but said attenuation testing for unvaccinated students, faculty and staff would resume in August. Voluntary tests remain available on campus.
IU officials are busy planning the fall semester, he said, noting that some students will start arriving on campus as early as August 2, with the pace picking up as the start of the academic year approaches. class on August 23.
After:Students and faculty trust IU to handle coronavirus variants
Wearing face masks is optional inside campus buildings for those who are fully vaccinated, White said, and this will continue unless the infection rate increases significantly. Those who are not vaccinated should wear a mask.
White said the free vaccinations are still available to the public by appointment or just walk into the Simon Skjodt boardroom, but the last day of this mass vaccination site is July 31. The remaining options on this site are from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays July 19 and 26. , and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, July 24 and 31.
IU is planning further vaccination clinics for incoming students who have not yet received their vaccines.
According to the Indiana Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, Monroe County’s weekly two-measure score was 0.5 on Monday, placing it in the blue COVID-19 advisory category, or lower . It had 39 reported cases per 100,000 population per week, with an all seven-day test positivity rate of 3.82%. The vaccine dashboard shows that 74,580 residents are fully immunized.
Monroe County has recorded 178 deaths among residents confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The county’s most recent death occurred on June 23, according to the state’s Scoreboard.
Counties surrounding Monroe also had weekly dual-metric scores from 0.5 to July 12, with the exception of Owen, where a rate of 1.5 places him in the yellow notice category. Around the state, most counties were blue, but several were yellow and three had an orange rating. None of the counties in Indiana fell into the advisory red category, or higher.
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