Riley County health officials are amplifying messages to residents to get vaccinated.
Last week, the health department identified more than 100 new cases of COVID-19, and at the time seven were hospitalized with symptoms. This at a time when cases of the Delta variant have also been rising both nationally and locally.
According to the most recent White House/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, Riley County is classified as an emerging COVID-19 hot spot. Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment shows roughly 40 percent of Riley County’s population is vaccinated.
Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says the new data “underscores the importance of getting vaccinated.” She says all of the individuals currently hospitalized in Riley County are unvaccinated and nationally 99.9 percent of those who have died from COVID are also unvaccinated.
Health officials are planning a noon press conference Wednesday at the the health department to talk about rising cases and other related public health matters.
