The Jefferson County Health Department reported no new COVID-19-related deaths in its latest weekly update released today, April 6.
That was the first time since the Feb. 23 report that the Health Department reported no new cases for the county.
New coronavirus cases also are down.
During the week of March 27 to April 2, the county had 48 new COVID-19 cases, down from the previous week when there were 54 new cases, according to the Health Department.
Of the most recent new cases, 54.17 percent was among unvaccinated people, 20.83 percent was among those with two vaccinations, and 25 percent was among people who had two vaccinations and a booster dose, the Health Department reported.
As of today, the county had seen a total of 53,139 coronavirus cases since the first ones were reported in March 2020, according to the Health Department.
The county also has seen a total of 533 residents who have died because of the virus since the start of the pandemic, the Health Department reported.
For the fourth week in a row, the county is in the green level on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) three-color COVID-19 warning system. The green level indicates low transmission of the virus, according to the Health Department.
Vaccines
Health officials urge residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency also encourages those who have received two COVID-19 vaccines to get a booster.
In addition, the CDC recommends those who are immunocompromised or who are 50 or older to get a second booster shot, which the Food and Drug Administration authorized on March 29. Eligible people may get the second booster if it’s been at least four months since their first one.
“During the recent Omicron surge, those who were boosted were 21 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated, and seven times less likely to be hospitalized,” the CDC reported. “CDC continues to recommend that all eligible adults, adolescents and children 5 and older be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.”
As of today, 50.8 percent of Jefferson County residents had received two vaccinations against COVID-19, which was up slightly from the previous week when 50.7 percent had them, the Health Department reported.
The agency also reported that 20.33 percent of county residents had received their booster vaccines, according to the Health Department.
The Jefferson County Health Department also recommends people follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested, if they are exposed to COVID-19 or have COVID-19 symptoms. Those who are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease are advised to have a plan for rapid testing if needed and to talk to their healthcare provider about whether they need to take other steps to limit the spread of the diseases, including frequent hand-washing, wearing masks and social distancing.
People may sign up for a vaccine appointment through the Health Department by going to the state vaccine Navigator website at covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator. Or they may call 877-435-8411. Or, to find another local vaccine site, visit vaccinefinder.org.
Flu
The Health Department reported 13 additional flu cases in the April 6 report.
So far this flu season, the county has had a total of 1,175 flu cases and two deaths from the flu since the start of the flu season, which began Oct. 3 and will end May 21.
“There are seven weeks left in this year’s flu season,” epidemiologist Sara Wilton said. “In the past, now is when we would typically see that drastic decrease in flu cases; however this season our cases dropped around the first week of 2022 and have held steady ever since.”
