The Jefferson County Health Department has reported another COVID-19-related death – a woman in her 70s.
That brings the county’s total number of deaths from the disease to 240 since the pandemic began.
Of the county’s COVID-19 deaths, 88 have been from long-term care facilities, the Health Department reported.
The county has had a total of 23,161 COVID-19 cases since the first ones were reported in March 2020, according to the Health Department.
Of those cases, 1,344 have been from long-term care facilities, the Health Department reported.
Yellow status
The Health Department also announced today (April 28) that it has moved the county to the yellow level of the agency’s COVID-19 warning system, which is the second lowest level on the four-color system and indicates minimal to moderate transmission of the virus.
Before that change, the county had spent six consecutive weeks at the orange status, the second highest level.
Several factors are evaluated when determining the color level, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and White House Pandemic Task Force guidelines. However, the main indicator is the seven-day rolling average number of cases per day per 100,000 people.
The rolling average number of cases for the week of April 18 to April 24 was 7.49. That was down from the previous week, when the seven-day rolling average was 14.86 per day per 100,000 people in the county, which has a population of about 225,000.
Despite the lower number of new COVID-10 cases, health officials still urge residents to take steps to curb the spread of the virus, including avoiding crowds, wearing masks in public, practicing social distancing and frequent hand-washing, staying home when you are sick and getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccines
The Health Department held a walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic today.
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.
As of today, the Health Department had administered 17,458 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 37,256, or 16.56 percent, of Jefferson County residents have been fully vaccinated, the Health Department reported.
Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City also held a walk-in vaccine clinics today, and another one is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday (April 30). The vaccine entrance is on the back side of the hospital, and signs will be posted to direct people to the entrance.
Mercy also has created an online sign-up method to help distribute vaccines. To sign up with Mercy, go to mercy.net/MOVaccine. Those without internet access may call 833-364-6777.
Comtrea, which also offers health care services around the county, provides vaccine clinics, too. To make an appointment, go to comtrea.org/vaccine, or call 636-232-2308.
Comtrea is offering walk-in clinics starting next week. They will be held from 9-11 a.m. every Tuesday at 2120 Tenbrook Road in Arnold.
SSM Health has an online vaccine appointment site at ssmhealth.com/access/covid19-vaccine-scheduling.
Other hospital systems and pharmacies also are registering people for the vaccines. To find a local vaccine site, visit vaccinefinder.org.
