As we enter the fall and winter months, Mesa County has experienced similar COVID-19 case counts as this time last year, when we suffered our most severe wave of illness.

For the seven-day period starting Sept. 26, 615 COVID-19 cases were reported to Mesa County Public Health — 484 of those in unvaccinated individuals. That’s the highest seven-day total since January 2021. At that time, cases were decreasing from a peak in November 2020 with case counts above 1,200 for two consecutive weeks. 

Already in October 2021, we’ve seen nearly the same number of deaths due to COVID-19 as we did in October of 2020, just as that surge began.

Communities with higher vaccination rates have fared better than Mesa County and are beginning to see cases, hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 decrease. The Mesa County vaccination rate stands at 52 percent of residents receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, below rates in Colorado and the United States.

Local data supports the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Fully 85 percent of hospital admissions and 81 percent of deaths due to COVID-19 have occurred in unvaccinated individuals. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies the Mesa County community transmission as high and recommends everyone wear a mask in public, indoor settings. 

As cases began to surge last spring because of the Delta variant, Mesa County Public Health urged mask use for all individuals regardless of vaccination status. That remains the recommendation as Mesa County continues to experience elevated COVID case levels. That’s not to mention the threats of other respiratory viruses, including influenza, this fall and winter.

Employers know sick employees affect business. Absences due to illness curtail productivity and can hurt the morale of healthy employees who have to pick up the resulting slack. Some employees worried about losing pay or getting behind could come to work sick, putting others at risk and increasing the potential effects for the whole workplace.

Mesa County Public Health continues to urge prevention methods in a layered approach for all Mesa County residents regardless of vaccination status. This includes social distancing, the use of face coverings, hand washing, vaccinations and staying away from work, child care, or school for those who aren’t feeling well.

COVID-19 and flu vaccines are available from Mesa County Public Health. Scheduling — including appointments for boosters or additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine as authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — is available online at https://health.mesacounty.us or by calling 248-6900.

Employers who’d like to host a clinic for flu vaccinations can fill out a form on the Mesa County Public Health website by clicking on the business flu clinics link in the menu.