Montgomery County pushing vaccinations
Health officials with the Montgomery County Hospital District Emergency Medical Services took to social media Friday to urge residents to get vaccinated and those who are vaccinated to continue to take precautions against the growing surge of COVID-19 cases.
The Montgomery County Public Health District confirmed Friday hospitalizations in Montgomery County hit an all-time high with 332 people in local hospitals with 64 of those in critical care beds.
In a video posted to YouTube, MCHD Assistant Medical Director Casey Patrick explained the more transmittable delta variant is a mutation of the original strain of COVID-19 and occurs naturally as the virus circulates. The variant, he said, comes as no surprise.
As some continue to question the vaccine’s effectiveness against the variant, Patrick said there is good news to report from the New England Journal of Medicine.
“It appears the Pfizer vaccine, specifically, after two doses have similar effectiveness in the alpha variant as it does in the delta variant,” he said, adding the alpha variant is the main COVID-19 virus that began circulating last year. “As an emergency physician, I have not seen any COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital, the ICU or even presented to the emergency department who are fully vaccinated.”
As for masks, Patrick said the CDC is recommending masking indoors.
“I admit, our masking information has been scattered at times,” he said. “Part of that is because this is a new mutating disease.”
While Patrick said he could not mandate anyone to wear a mask, he urged people in close proximity to others for a prolonged period indoors to wear a mask since the virus is airborne.
“When I go into grocery stores, sporting events any enclosed space with multiple people, I’m going to mask again,” he said, adding with the current increased spread of COVID-19 “makes sense to wear a mask.”
Patrick said vaccinations are readily available at pharmacies across the county.
Additionally, vaccinations will be available on a drive-thru basis from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday though Monday at The Magnolia Event Center, 11659 FM 1488 in Magnolia and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday at the North Montgomery County Community Center, 900 Gerald in Willis. No appointment is necessary.
To date, 249,433 people age 12 and older in Montgomery County have been fully vaccinated.
The Montgomery County Public Health District confirmed 582 new active cases Friday, bringing the total to 7,031. Total number of all cases in Montgomery County is now 64,472.
The number of deaths increased by three to 362. The deaths include a Spring man in his 60s; a Conroe man in his 60s; and a Willis woman in her 80s.
All three patients were hospitalized at the time of their death with other medical conditions. None of the three were vaccinated.
The county’s testing positive rate is now 23 percent.
“This has been heavy and stressful on us health care providers beyond belief,” Patrick said. “The one thing we can all agree on is we want the pandemic to be over. I want to go back to traveling, vacations and indoor events and all the things we took for granted back in 2018 that are a struggle now. The best way to do that, one, two, three, four and five on the list is if you aren’t vaccinated please get vaccinated.”