The Delta variant is driving a surge in COVID-19 cases in Yuma County, and throughout most of northeast Colorado.
The Northeast Colorado Health Department reported that, based on reports from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), that nearly all the new cases are due to the Delta variant.
Yuma County had jumped to 105 estimated active cases, as of the October 13 update of the NCHD’s COVID-19 dashboard found at nchd.org. The county had 45 new cases over the last seven days, including one hospitalization. Overall, there were three confirmed hospitalizations. The county had seen a jump in new tests, up to 498 over seven days, and test positivity increased to 15.1 percent — well above the accepted threshold of 5 percent outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Yuma County had 87 new cases over the last 14 days, and 133 over the last 30 days, an increase of 84.
Yuma District Hospital & Districts has been requiring masks for being in the facility, and recently restricted entrance to one person per patient due to the rising cases.
YDHC CEO Beth Saxton, RN, said most testing before mid-August was due to travel or surgical-related. However, it has trended toward illness-related testing since. Through this past Tuesday, the YDH stats show about 28 percent of those tested have been positive.
Saxton added that the CDPHE said the rise throughout the state could be due in part to more movement among the population, as the current movement and participation in activities is about where it was pre-pandemic.
The county’s schools are not experiencing impacts at the moment. Yuma School District-1 recently lifted some restrictions at Yuma Middle School, such as limiting visitors, as cases in the school have gone down.
However, cases keep going up throughout the region.
Overall, the NCHD’s six-county district had 247 new cases, with 10 hospitalizations, as of the October 13 update.
Neighboring Washington County, with less than half of Yuma County’s population, had 71 estimated active cases. The county had 30 new cases, and two hospitalizations, with a test positivity of 12.2 percent, over the past seven days. WashCo had 62 new cases over the past 14 days, and 88 over 30 days, including one death, bringing the county’s total COVID-19 deaths to 15.
Phillips County’s rise was lower, with 15 new cases over the last seven days, with a total of 33 estimated active cases. Phillips had 23 new cases over 14 days, and 49 over 30 days. Phillips County is the top vaccinated county in the region.
Logan County has seen a jump recently, with 82 new cases over seven days, and 176 estimated active cases. However, its test positivity was at 4.3 percent.
Morgan County had 73 new cases over seven days, with 156 estimated active cases.
Sedgwick County had a spike earlier this fall, but now is down to 10 estimated active cases, with only one new case over the past seven days.
As mentioned above, Phillips County has the highest percent of eligible county population immunized with one or more dose, at 60 percent according to the CDPHE’s vaccine data dashboard.
Morgan and Sedgwick both were at 55.2 percent. Yuma County has improved to 51 percent. Logan is at 44.8 percent.
Washington County continues to have the state’s lowest vaccination rate at 35.2 percent.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available at Yuma District Hospital & Clinics. There are COVID vaccine clinics on October 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 21 from 10 to 2, and October 28 from 10 to 2. The Pfizer vaccine is for anyone 12 years old and up, while Moderna is 18 and up. One can find links to make an appointment at the YHD Facebook, also shared on the Yuma Pioneer Facebook.
After making an appointment, please email COVIDVaccInterest@yumahospital.org to let Julie know which vaccine you would like, or call Julie at (970) 848-4712 and she will help you.
