When it comes to COVID, it’s good news/bad news

Don’t lose sight of precautions – CovId is still in Yuma County

This week, Yuma Regional Medical Center changed its visitor protocols for some patients amid an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The majority of the COVID-19 patients were not vaccinated, forcing YRMC to make some changes to protect both patients and staff.

It’s a step we don’t like to see happen, but it mirrors a trend across the rest of the state. Don Herrington, interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, wrote a blog post this week on an increase in COVID-19 cases statewide.

“After coming down steadily after a peak in mid-August, cases statewide have increased from 14,511 in the week of Oct. 10 to 17,299 so far reported for the week of Oct. 31,” Herrington noted.

“It isn’t clear why this is happening, though the timing coincides with the start of cooler temperatures, fall break for schools, and the continued dominance of the highly contagious Delta variant.”

There are, however, some bright points to note here, readers.

Children between the ages of 5-11 now have the green light to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final OK on Nov. 2.

That opens the door for a new population group to get vaccinated, giving a layer of protection to them.

So let’s look at the numbers in Yuma County for a moment.

As of Friday morning, 60.8% of Yuma County is now vaccinated.

When we break that down to the percentage of eligible people vaccinated, that number goes up to 65.5% – and that now includes anyone ages 5 and up. (We should note that this number was higher for Yuma County a few weeks ago, but when the 5-11 population became eligible last week, the percentage dipped.)

Now, let’s look at the by-age breakdown for Yuma County:

• Less than 20 years – 26.4%

• 20-44 years – 67.1%

• 45-54 years – 79.5%

• 55-64 years – 90.5%

• 65 years and older – 75.7%

It’s great progress forward, especially as a new age group enters the eligibility window. A year ago, the COVID vaccine wasn’t even an option. And now, here we are with 65.5% of the county vaccinated. And look at the older populations here – ages 55-64 are at 90%. It’s truly remarkable progress.

However, despite all that progress forward, we can’t let our guard down. As cases continue to spike, precautions still are necessary, as they have been since March 2020.

• Mask up in public indoor settings

• Continue to practice physical distancing

• Adhere to frequent handwashing practices and/or use hand sanitizer

• And above all – if you are sick, please stay home It’s understandable to have COVID-19 fatigue. We all do. And as we look around Yuma County, we see the social calendars are loading up again. We too are excited for events and seeing our friends again.

But as you do, be careful. If you haven’t yet gotten the vaccine, please do so. And for all of our readers, stay safe!