With the rates of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths rising in Missouri, the Jefferson County Health Department recently joined St. Louis and St. Louis County in issuing about next steps.
Currently, there are no confirmed cases of the new delta variant in Jefferson County, said communications specialist Brianne Zwiener of the Jefferson County Health Department.
鈥淏ut that doesn't mean that we won't get them,鈥� Zwiener told St. Louis on the Air. Public health officials are fully expecting confirmed cases in the coming days and are continuing mass vaccinations efforts.
鈥淲e are trying to make people aware that the Delta variant is new, it's different, it is highly transmissible, and that it does come with a risk of hospitalization and severe disease,鈥� Zweiner explained on Monday鈥檚 program.
In conversation with 漏 2024 外网天堂 executive editor Shula Neuman, Zweiner discussed how Jefferson County is navigating the pandemic. The county has seen more than 250 COVID-19 deaths and more than 24,000 coronavirus cases so far.
The county鈥檚 public health officials have been monitoring their COVID-19 situation via a color-coded system that's based on the model.
For most of 2020, the region was in a red zone, which is the highest risk level. But its health department started seeing a shift as strategic informational campaigns helped increase vaccination rates in the county. The region is currently in the yellow zone, which Zweiner explained is the second-lowest status, but she said the latest data have the county creeping toward the orange and red zones.
鈥淲e are continuing to push education, continuing to push the information from CDC, from the FDA about the effectiveness of the vaccines, what we know in regards to vaccines and variants,鈥� she added.
One such public health message is the health department鈥檚 鈥�鈥� campaign. For it, local leaders, health workers, teachers and community members record a video stating why they got vaccinated and 鈥渨hat [they鈥檙e] hoping that we can all do to come together for the greater good of Jefferson County.鈥�
Zweiner added that the county also followed national trends by making the switch from mass vaccination and testing sites to smaller pop-up clinics and mobile vans, or as she called them: COVID-cruiser vans.
鈥淭he vibe, so to speak, had changed,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e're reaching people [who are] not necessarily opposed to getting the vaccine, they just haven't had it presented to them in a way that makes sense.鈥�
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by and produced by , , and . Paola Rodriguez is our production assistant. The audio engineer is .
