Friday, March 19, 2021

First COVID-19 Case Reported in Dubuque County One Year Ago Today

Dubuque County: 1,046 More Completed Vaccinations, 12 New Positive Individuals, and No New Deaths.

Iowa: 21,070 More Completed Vaccinations, 592 New Positive Individuals, and No New Deaths.

Dubuque County Vaccinations Update

Vaccinations continue for Dubuque County residents age 65 and over, designated essential workers, individuals with disabilities living in home settings and their direct care staff, and individuals 16-64 years of age with medical conditions that are or may be an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

For the week of March 22, 2021, the Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team has received the same amount of Pfizer vaccine as previous weeks (2,340 doses) as well an additional 200 Moderna doses. These will be utilized for tier 2 essential workers as well as continued vaccinations of residents age 65+ and 64 and younger with health conditions.

Dubuque County residents age 65 and older is a group with an estimated county population of 17,819. As of this morning (March 19), 7,675 county residents 65 and older have been fully vaccinated. Another 6,483 residents 65 and older have received their first vaccination and are waiting to complete their two-dose series. This is about 79% of the total 65+ population who has either completed their vaccination series or is currently in the process. Healthcare providers continue to contact their patients when appointments are available and some county pharmacies are offering appointments.

Options for Vaccination Appointment Assistance

Iowa residents currently eligible who need assistance in finding/scheduling a vaccination appointment can call 2-1-1 to speak to a "Vaccine Navigator," a service from the State of Iowa.
Dubuque County residents currently eligible who do not have a healthcare provider and would like assistance in scheduling a vaccination can call the Sleeves Up number at 563.587.4950 and leave their contact information.

Variants & Travel Underscore Importance of Continued Vigilance

On Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced 38 more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in Iowa, including one confirmed case in Dubuque County. Yesterday's video update from the Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team covers why it's important to pay attention to variants and what you can do to protect yourself and those around you, cautions and considerations for spring travel, and a review of the status of vaccinations in Dubuque County.

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/qpbEWosYRIA