The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 website was down part of last Friday. State data was updated Monday, July 19.

There have been 324,187 cases to date, resulting in 11,364 hospitalizations, 5,198 deaths and 17 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) cases associated with COVID-19. There were 802 cases, 31 new hospitalizations and 1 new death reported since Friday, July 16.

In Barton County, 31 specimens were sequenced and variants were found in 14, or 45%, of the specimens. Of those, three were the alpha variant and 11 were the delta variant,

There have been no new deaths in area counties this month.

Barton County has had 90 hospitalizations related to COVID-19 – one more since July 14 – including 20 intensive care unit admissions and seven cases requiring mechanical ventilation.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, 1.3 million Kansans – 45.3% of the total population – have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 39.9% have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series.

For area counties, the state reports the rate of people 12 years of age or older who have received at least one dose and who have received the full series:

• Barton 43.64% one dose, 40.47% full series

• Ellsworth 53.10% and 48.26%

• Pawnee 49.12% and 45.55%

• Rice 42.35% and 39.22%

• Rush 48.28% and 44.46%

• Russell 43.09% and 39.43%

• Stafford 42.76% and 40.42%

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that COVID-19 vaccines are readily available and are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, including severe illness and death. They can reduce the risk of people spreading COVID-19. Everyone 12 years of age and older is now eligible to get a free COVID-19 vaccination.

Highlights of the latest CDC recommendations include:

• COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can do things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

• If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be protected even if you are fully vaccinated. You should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people until advised otherwise by your health-care provider.

• If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.

However, if you live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.

• We’re still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines can protect people.

USA Today reported Monday that more experts are calling for vaccinated people to mask up as COVID surges around the country. The report cited CDC figures showing almost 5,500 fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized or died from COVID-19, among the more than 160 million people who have been fully vaccinated.

Our World in Data reports 26.3% of the world population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine; 3.66 billion doses have been administered globally and 29.89 million are now administered each day.

In the United States, 338 million doses have been given and 49.1% of the population is fully vaccinated.

CDC reports there have been 33.89 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the death total is 606,618.

White House COVID-19 Response Team

The White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials held a press briefing last Friday. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, commented:

“There is a clear message that is coming through: This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.  We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk. And communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well. ...

“The good news is that if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected against severe COVID, hospitalization, and death, and are even protected against the known variants — including the Delta variant — circulating in the country.

“If you are not vaccinated, you remain at risk.  And our biggest concern is that we are going to continue to see preventable cases, hospitalizations, and, sadly, deaths among the unvaccinated.

“Lastly, I want to reiterate the importance of getting fully vaccinated.  I want to reiterate that people who got the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are most effective, especially when — against the Delta variant when given as two shots in a series.”

He said all of the vaccines used in this country – the Pfizer, Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson – have been shown effective “against the Delta variant, particularly, and importantly, against hospitalization,” in lab studies and in clinical effectiveness studies.

“And so the message loud and clear that we need to reiterate is that these vaccines continue to strong protection against SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta variant.  And so — why it’s so important for yourself, your family, and your community to get vaccinated,” Fauci said.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Thursday issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the dangers of health misinformation.

“And during this pandemic, health misinformation has led people to resist wearing masks in high-risk settings; to turn down proven treatments — in some cases to turn to unproven treatments and to choose not to get vaccinated,” he said Friday. “All this has led to avoidable illnesses and deaths.  Simply put, health misinformation has cost us lives.”