From Staff Reports
Commissioners in Carter County co-signed a letter Friday with the director of the county health department asking residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
It came as Carter County has seen coronavirus cases spike.
As of July 12, the Missouri Department of Health reports Carter County residents testing positive at a rate of 36.7%, which is the highest positivity rate in the state of Missouri, officials said.
The county has seen an 1,100% increase in the Carter County COVID-19 Positivity Rate, officials reported Friday. The county had 31 new cases of COVID-19 reported to the health center this week. This is an all time high of new positive cases since COVID-19 was first detected in the county, they reported.
“While community leaders are encouraged more individuals are seeking vaccines, over 79% of Carter County residents remain unvaccinated,” according to the letter signed by officials. “Our vaccination rates still lag behind state and national rates.
“To reach the needed level of protection for our community, at least 70% of Carter County residents must be fully vaccinated, especially as the highly contagious and aggressive Delta variant continues to cause severe illness and hospitalizations among unvaccinated individuals in our region.”
Citizens are being asked to limit large gatherings and stay home if they feel sick.
“We all want to get this under control so we don’t have to go back to mandates and limiting gatherings in the county,” said County Commissioner Ron Keeney.
Currently, six Carter County residents are being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals, officials reported. There are three in critical care.
“While some individuals who are fully vaccinated have still tested positive for COVID-19, their illness is typically mild and rarely requires hospitalization,” officials wrote in the joint letter. “Unvaccinated individuals are urged to wear a mask and take other precautions while in public.
“Everyone 12 and older is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible — including those who have previously tested positive for COVID-19.”