Delta variant is in Washington County

Breakthrough cases are being found

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Transmission levels of COVID-19 are picking up around Washington County, according to Three Rivers Public Health Department Executive Director Terra Uhing.

"Numbers are going up because variants are making up a large percentage of the new cases across the country," she said. "It is because of a lag in vaccinations and how much the pandemic has been politicized. We have a tool that will help us get through that and it's immunizations."

Uhing said the Three Rivers dashboard is updated every day, Monday through Friday. As of Wednesday morning there were three cases in the past seven days and four cases in the past 14 days.

"Case numbers had been low, but we are starting to see new variants," she said. "A lot of people think the pandemic is over but it is not. Now with what we are learning with the Delta variant and how easily transmissible it is, that's a little bit of a changer for us."

Uhing said she wants to remind people, if they are able, to get the vaccine.

"The vaccine is one of our most impressive tools to fight this," she said.

In Washington County, she has seen Delta variants, P1 and UK variants.

"I know people aren't testing like they should be either," she said. "Across the board, the Delta variant is impacting younger people in their 40s to 60s and they are getting hospitalized," Uhing said. "We are also seeing vaccination breakthrough cases."

Three Rivers has all the vaccines available.

"We know COVID-19 isn't going away and we have to learn to live with it," she said. "Now, we figure out how do we continue to live, make the best choices and keep people as healthy and safe as possible."