Due to our HIGH transmission status, it is recommended that everyone, despite vaccination, should wear a mask when indoors.  Transmission locally increased to 562.32 new cases per 100,000 over the last week (on 8/18, we were at 476.52 per 100,000).     

The graphic below shows our case rate since July 2020. 

General Updates

 

FDA has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTeck COVID-19 vaccine for ages 16 and above.  https://www.fda.gov/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/comirnaty-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine

• The Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 is still is the EUA stage. 

 

I was on a call with the state this morning and the push from the state is masking and vaccinations.  IDPH is not looking at shutdowns, but really trying to push the other mitigations such as masking and vaccinations to reduce the number of cases.   It is important for us to not get to a point where this is no longer our only options

 

Currently at the state level, we are at about the same level for new cases as we were with our Spring spike earlier this year, but region 6 and Vermilion County is steadily climbing and had a high increase last week.  Region 6 did finally see 2 days of COVID19 patient decreases or stabilization (a total of 2 patients decreased).  This is the first time we haven’t had an increase in patients in over a month.    

 

Again, the majority of our cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are with those who are not vaccinated.  PLEASE encourage your staff, family, friends, congregations, etc. to get vaccinated.  Vaccinations are working. 

 

Vaccine Hesitancy

 

Vaccine hesitancy is high in this county.  I see a lot of misinformation being shared out there.  Here are a few things to remember:

 

• We have been studying mRNA vaccines for 20 years.  This was not new technology.
• The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19
• The vaccine cannot cause you to become magnetic
• The vaccine does not affect either male or female fertility
• The vaccine does not shed or release any of their components
• The vaccine will not alter your DNA
• The vaccine will not cause you to have a positive COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen)

 

For a few more vaccination facts and myth busting: 

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

 

Mask Myths

 

This information is from the Cleveland Clinic. I’ve included a few of their facts, but you can see all of the information here:  https://health.clevelandclinic.org/some-of-the-most-pressing-coronavirus-myths-debunked/

• Wearing a face mask provides protection to those around you from YOUR respiratory droplets, and it protects you from OTHER people’s respiratory droplets.
• Surgical masks are around 95% effective and cloth masks are between 50-80% effective.  BUT in order for a face mask to protect you and those around you, it needs to be worn correctly. 
• Remembering that there are people who do not have symptoms or have very mild symptoms and can still spread COVID19 is the reason why we ask everyone to mask when indoors. 

This information is from Johns Hopkins Medicine:   Read All