Delta variant cases are increasing across the state

Weekly updates from Montgomery County Public Health coordinator Samantha Beeson to members of the Montgomery Board of Supervisors are occuring once again with an increase of COVID cases due to the Delta variant.

Beeson notified the board 4,370 people in Montgomery County have been vaccinated for COVID. She added county residents continue to trickle in for vaccinations.

While cases of COVID’s Delta variant increase, Beeson said state officials will not be sending out county alerts when they have the Delta variant present.

“Part of the reason is because a majority of the cases in the state of Iowa are the Delta variant,” explained Beeson.

She added the Delta variant is in Montgomery County and has been since July.

Allegedly an easier strain of the virus to catch, despite full vaccinations, Beeson encourages regular hand washing, social distancing and staying home when ill.

“We have not gotten any guidance from the state about what schools are going to look like in the fall. Gov. Kim Reynolds has put forth some laws that restrict what they can do, so we’re just sort of waiting for guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health on that.”

In the interim, Beeson said her department is going to plan for one final, major, vaccination clinic in the county.

“We’re looking to hold a big COVID clinic on Aug. 24. We’re going to work with Montgomery County Memorial Hospital and Methodist Physicians Clinic. Also, we’re going to bring back-to-school immunizations as well, so we can offer those vaccinations and the COVID vaccine to kids 12 and over. We’ll have more information this week with the official times and other details,” Beeson said.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 2, Montgomery County had a total positive case count of 1,070, and the 14-day positivity rate for the county is 4.4 percent, with the seven-day positivity rate at 3.9 percent. The state’s 14-day positivity rate is 5.7 percent, and the seven-day positivity rate is 6.6 percent.

Supervisor Mike Olson said he had been contacted by people who were under the impression the county positivity rate was based on a percentage of the total people in the county. Beeson clarified that the positivity rate was based on the number of tests given during the time period divided by the positive tests of that same time period.

Olson questioned if one person was tested during the week, and that test was positive, that theoretically, it would show a 100 percent positivity rate in the county. Beeson confirmed that was the case.

“Some counties have even experienced that. Some of the smaller counties have had a seven-day positivity rate of 100 percent due to one person being tested for the week, and that person being positive,” said Beeson.

Olson said she disappointed that the positivity rate was determined using that manner, as it caused unwarranted fear. Beeson was in agreement, and said the limited one-per week updating of the state Coronavirus website was only adding to the confusion, based on the way the numbers were reported.

“On that website, the positive case count is solely based on positive tests. In some cases, people were tested multiple times, or someone who tested positive last year have tested positive again this year, so each test is counted individually. ”

The lastest COVID count for the state can be found on the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.  

The Red Oak Express

2012 Commerce Drive
P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

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