Greene County Public Health is continuing to see improving numbers of those being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Director Becky Wolf says just over 50-percent of the total Greene County population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Wolf notes that the 12-19 year-olds have the lowest vaccination percentage of around 40-percent. However, while there is a slow trend upward of vaccinations, Wolf points out positive cases and additional deaths have happened. Wolf says from September 1st-23rd, there have been 173 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Greene County for just over ten-percent seven day positivity rate.

Wolf feels one area that is being overlooked are those who have died due to the virus. Greene County recently added its 12th COVID-19 related death. She talks about the statewide death rate.

“Overall, since the pandemic occurred, we’ve lost 6,482 Iowans to COVID. If you want to put that into perspective, that would wipe out 73-percent of our Greene County population. So as much noise is occurring regarding angst about whether to be vaccinated or not, whether the masks work or not, the bottom line is people die. And I don’t think that there’s enough chatter about that.”

Wolf adds that as of September 23rd there were four Greene County residents that were hospitalized due to COVID-19, which didn’t count the individuals, if there were any, that had to be transferred to another healthcare facility.