The Amarillo Division of Public Well being is urging extra individuals to get vaccinated because the area continues to see a rise in respiratory diseases, together with COVID-19 and influenza, with practically 1,800 instances of COVID-19 lively and about 1,700 instances of flu-related sickness reported this week.
Extra:Amarillo hospitals seeing concerning rise in respiratory patients
Free vaccines and boosters can be found on the Amarillo Public Well being Division and Amarillo Public Well being cell clinics. The vaccines and boosters won’t be free within the close to future, so Amarillo Public Well being encourages residents to make the most of this chance now. Those that have obtained a COVID-19 vaccine or booster greater than two months in the past are eligible for the brand new booster, which offers extra safety from the unique virus and the Omicron variant.
Flu replace
Because the Texas Panhandle area is seeing a rise in respiratory diseases, the well being division has additionally shared its weekly flu report, which is created by all of the native suppliers who voluntarily report influenza to Amarillo Public Well being Division in Potter and Randall Counties.
Earlier weekly flu studies may be discovered on the well being division’s web site. Information is categorized by week, from Oct. 16 by way of Dec. 19. The week of Dec. 5 had a complete of two,129 flu and flu-like instances of sickness reported.
For the week of Dec. 19, there have been 831 instances of influenza A, six instances of influenza B and 822 instances of flu-like sickness, in response to the flu report card.
With 76 instances categorized as “undifferentiated,” the weekly whole was 1,735.
COVID-19 replace
Within the division’s weekly COVID-19 replace, 1,783 instances have been thought of lively, with no new deaths and a rise of 454 new COVID-19 instances.
In line with the report card, the 454 new COVID-19 instances quantity to a seven-day, new-case common of 65, with a seven-day positivity charge of 14%.
That brings the whole variety of instances in Potter and Randall counties to 86,605 and the whole variety of deaths to 1,314 because the starting of the pandemic in March 2020, in response to the report card. As posted on the APHD’s website, a complete 82,242 recoveries have been reported for the realm.
Potter County’s whole instances because the begin of the pandemic rose to 41,300, with 830 lively, 39,694 recoveries and 776 deaths associated to the virus.
Randall County’s whole COVID-19 instances because the begin of the pandemic rose to 43,992, with 906 lively, 42,548 recoveries and 538 deaths associated to the virus.
The report card accommodates the most recent knowledge from BSA Well being System, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, and Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Middle.
The Amarillo Public Well being COVID-19 Hospitalization report, additionally being launched weekly, famous 28 COVID-19 sufferers hospitalized, 64% of whom have been unvaccinated. Of these, 5 sufferers have been within the ICU, with 4 on ventilators, all of whom have been unvaccinated.
By the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) requirements, Randall and Potter County’s group ranges of COVID-19 have been medium, or yellow this week, noting the next: “In case you are at excessive danger for extreme sickness, discuss to your healthcare supplier about whether or not you could put on a masks and take different precautions. Keep updated with COVID-19 vaccines, and get examined in case you have signs.”
For added suggestions for staying secure this winter and the hottest COVID-19 data, go to www.AmarilloAlerts.com. Weekly flu studies may be discovered at www.amarillopublichealth.org .
The town of Amarillo Public Well being Division, positioned at 850 Martin Street, presents the brand new COVID bivalent booster and COVID-19 vaccines for everybody aged 5 and older. Additionally they provide different grownup and youngsters’s vaccines to those who qualify. Study extra at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/findavaccine.
For the whole report of all Amarillo Public Well being COVID-19 knowledge, go to amarillo.gov/coviddashboard .
Editor’s word: Among the numbers surrounding COVID-19 instances listed on this story are completely different on the weekly report card, vs. the APHD web site. In line with the general public well being division, readers can verify the web site for the most recent updates and totals.