Pettis County COVID Taskforce Shares Good News and Concern in Update

The Pettis County COVID-19 Task Force shared some good news, and expressed a note of concern in their latest briefing Monday afternoon.

The good news, for the first time in over a year Pettis County didn't have an increase in COVID-19 cases in double digits. There were eight cases last week, and fourteen cases the week prior. For the month of May, the positivity rate was 4.87 with 62 positive cases and 1,210 negative cases.

Pettis County Health Center is continuing to remind residents that the coronavirus pandemic is not over yet, and that people should proactively practice preventative health practices, especially around children twelve and under who can't get vaccinated.

Pettis County Health Center is also concerned about Livingston and Linn counties to our north. Both counties are COVID hot spots for the nation. And Pettis County Health Center says those counties have a higher vaccination rate than Pettis County.

Sherry Weldon, Livingston County's Health Administrator, told ABC News the problem in Livingston County is that Livingston County's big problem is public health officials having to dispel unfounded rumors around the vaccine's safety. And Linn County's Medical Director Dr. Kendal Geno told ABC News:

In rural Missouri it has been difficult the entire pandemic, honestly, to get people to take things seriously in many ways.

Geno went on to tell ABC News the spike in the counties is a result of "laissez-faire attitudes around mitigation measures and quarantining, the spread of more transmissible COVID-19 variants and low vaccination rates among younger populations."

Currently Pettis County has approximately vaccinated 30% of the population with one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 27% of the population has been fully vaccinated. That's lower than the state average where 42% of the population has at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 35% are fully vaccinated.

Bothwell Regional Health Center is offering the following coronavirus vaccine clinics this week:

Pifzer (dose one and dose two) on Wednesday June 9 from 8:30AM -10:30AM CDT at Bothwell Internal Medicine. And Saturday June 12 from 9:00AM -11:00AM CDT at Bothwell Healing Arts Center. This vaccine can be administered to anyone 18 or older, those younger than 18 must have parental consent.

The Johnson and Johnson one dose vaccine is being offered Wednesday June 9 from 10:30AM -11:30 AM at Bothwell Internal Medicine.

Walk ins are welcome at either event, although Bothwell encourages people to call for an appointment or schedule in Bothwell's patient portal.

Katy Trail Community Health is offering vaccinations for the community on Thursdays from 8:00AM -12:00PM CDT and Saturdays from 10:00AM -2:00PM CDT on Saturdays at 816 Westwood Drive.