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County picks up 75 new cases with a 17.3 percent positive rate

POLK COUNTY—Polk County had a record week this week in COVID-19 cases, picking up an additional 75 cases and a 17.3 percent positive rate. 

The Polk County Division of Public Health sent its weekly COVID update on Friday stating that the county has had a total of 1,789, up from 1,714 cases last week. 

The county has had 33 deaths from the virus and 79 hospitalizations, according to Friday’s report. 

The percentage of county residents who have been vaccinated remained the same as last week at 40 percent. 

There are 8,877 Polk County residents with at least one dose of the vaccine and 8,287 residents who are fully vaccinated, according to the report. 

Polk County’s positive cases overall have been mostly in people age 25-49 years old, followed by people 50-64 years old, people 65-74 years old, people 75 and above, people 0-17 and people 18-24 years old. 

Vaccines are free for anyone and are now being administered to everyone age 12 and older in North Carolina. 

To schedule an appointment with the county people can call the Polk County COVID message line at 828-722-5086. More information is also available on a special COVID-19 tab located at polknc.org. 

Local pharmacies are also now giving vaccines.