Public Health Officer Issues Alert as Covid Cases at LCO Continue to Rise

By Gary Girard

LCO Health Director

Public Health Officer

NOTE: This release issued on Nov. 9, 2021

LCO had 12 positive Covid-19 Cases yesterday. As of 9 o’clock this morning, we had one more positive case. We are currently at 57 active Covid-19 positive cases in the LCO Community. We are seeing some break through cases. This may be due to waning antibody protections from vaccines given over six months ago. We encourage everyone whom has been fully vaccinated post 6 months to call and schedule their booster dose vaccine.

The LCO Health Center has scheduled Wednesdays for Covid-19 vaccines going forward. Patients can get first, second, or booster doses at this time. The LCO Health Center held a 5-to-11-year-old vaccination event at the LCO School last Friday and 47 children were vaccinated. Dr. Steve is working with Sawyer County Health to support vaccinations for children in Hayward and Winter Schools as well as adults.

We have plenty of vaccines on hand and IHS assures us they will be able to provide vaccines as needed. Please call the LCO Health Center to schedule your vaccine at 715-638-5152.

LCO and Sawyer County at large are at twice the state average for Covid-19 infections at this time and are within the RED high risk for infection. We believe this is due in part from multiple large social gatherings where face masking was not previously mandated. Please protect yourself, your family, and community by wearing a face mask, avoid large gatherings, social distance, disinfect, and hand wash regularly. We have discovered patients whom have had Covid-19 may only need one additional shot as antibodies are high after just one vaccine.

Sawyer County COVID-19 Data on November 5, 2021

Sawyer County continues in the red risk level with a rising seven day average of 81.1 cases per 100,000 people.

Wisconsin continues in the red risk level with a seven day average of 40.7 cases per 100,000.

This rate is considered a high level of community transmission. Health recommendations include masking in public spaces for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated, maintaining a minimum of six feet distance between yourself and others, and washing your hands regularly.

Vaccination remains the best defense against contracting the disease or experiencing serious complications.

If you want to get vaccinated, there are many opportunities in Sawyer County through pharmacies and clinics. Sawyer County Health Department is vaccinating on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. —12:30 p.m. We can vaccinate ages 12 years and older. Call 715-634-4806 to schedule an appointment.

The Delta variant spreads more readily than other variants and has quickly risen to be the top variant spreading throughout the United States, including in Sawyer County. The good news is that the vaccines are still very effective against Delta and serious complications of COVID.

A small percentage of vaccinated people are contracting and can spread the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. For that reason, current CDC masking guidance recommends that both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated persons mask while indoors in public places in communities with substantial and high community transmission rates.

Previous Report

Low dose Pfizer covid vaccines for ages 5-11yrs are now available! The dose is 1/3 that of an adult dose and is a 2 shot series 3 weeks apart. Beginning 11/10/21 we will have appointments (715-638-5100) for ages 5yrs and older for Pfizer covid vaccines during our weekly vaccine clinic@ LCO Community Health Center!

URGENT: We are seeing multiple patients who have contracted Covid but were vaccinated more than 6 months ago and did not get their booster doses. If you received your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna covid vaccine on or before May 8 of this year and are over 18 years of age, you are now eligible for your booster dose. Your immunity to Covid may be decreasing if you are more than 6 months from your second dose, call LCO Community Health Center to boost your immunity Now! 715-638-5100.

In addition, all Johnson and Johnson patients are eligible for a booster of their choice 2 months after their initial dose. They may have another J&J or they may have Pfizer or Moderna boosters.