The delta variant continues to take hold in southwest Missouri and Texas County, according data released Saturday by the Missouri Department of Health.
In Texas County, there have been 54 positive cases in the last seven days measured, it said. The positivity rate — the percentage of those testing positive — is 29.9 percent. Cases are up 31.7 percent in the last seven days.
Health officials said the rise in cases is due to a high number of nonvaccinated population in the region. Texas County’s vaccination rate stood at only 20.9 percent, as of July 15. Those completed vaccinations was 24.2 percent.
There have been 264 shots given in the county in the seven days prior to Thursday.
The Texas County Health Department, whose numbers tend to measure a higher number than the state, said Friday night it had 79 cases from July 13-16. Of those, only two had been vaccinated. From July 6 – July 11, it said there were 43 new cases.
Coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations in Missouri have reached levels not seen since winter.
Doctors say they are seeing more younger, health patients than any time since the pandemic started.
Steve Edwards, the CEO of CoxHealth, said Saturday the vaccine appears about 97 to 99 percent effective against severe disease, hospitalization and mortality with the Delta variant. For those vaccinated, it provides a high level of protection against severe disease.