Things are changing rapidly in regard to COVID-19 in Door County. As of yesterday CVS pharmacy is now able to provide vaccinations. This means that 5 centers are able to offer the vaccine. You can visit their website and see what vaccines are available as well as schedule a time to get vaccinated. This works well for people who are comfortable with computers etc. You can also contact the providers by phone and schedule a vaccination . Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are all very effective in protecting you from getting a severe infection. They are all safe as well and getting whatever vaccine that is available is being advised.
The most recent data indicates that 41.3% of residents in Door County who are eligible to be vaccinated have received at least one dose. It also indicates that 83.7% of people >65 years of age have received at least one dose of vaccine.
We have also learned that Wisconsin will open up eligibility to all 16 years of age and older. This is great news but unfortunately not the only news. At the present time viral activity in Door County is increasing. It is now at a Very High Level. Cases in Door County have increased in the last two weeks. The “Test Positivity” rate is now at 5% which means that cases may be undercounted. Like other areas in our country, we may be at the beginning of another surge. If that were to happen we could expect hospitalizations to climb as well as deaths. This is not the direction we want to be headed. Although our highest risk population is much better protected by being vaccinated, our ability to control viral spread may be slipping away. In addition the Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down the govenors mask mandate.
There are two things we need to consider at this time. First and very important, we must get as many people vaccinated as fast as we can. But we also need to follow what we know has worked in mitigating this virus including it’s variants. We must continue to practice good public health measures. These includes wearing masks when out in public especially when in indoor settings. In addition we must continue with social distancing and good hand washing practices. This should have nothing to do with politics. It has to do with being considerate of our own health as well as that of others. We are so close to being able to control this virus and getting our lives back to being more normal. Please be safe.
God Bless
