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Polk adds another 21 cases with a 4.7 percent positive rate

POLK COUNTY—Polk County’s positive COVID-19 cases remained low again last week with the county only adding another 21 cases. The week prior the county added 29 cases. 

In September, the county had seen as many as 101 cases in 1 week. 

The Polk County Department of Health and Human Services released its weekly COVID-19 update Friday, with the county having a 4.7 percent positive rate last week, which is slightly up from the week prior’s 4.4 percent but down from the week before that at 6.1 percent. 

The county has now had a total of 2,296 cases of COVID-19 since March 2020. 

As of Friday, there have been 44 Polk County residents who have died from the virus and 91 people who have been hospitalized, which was the same as the week prior. The county’s percent of its population that is vaccinated remained at 43 percent last week. 

As of Friday, 9,425 Polk County residents had at least 1 dose of the vaccine and 8,943 Polk County residents are fully vaccinated, according to the county’s latest data. 

Polk County’s positive cases overall have been mostly in females at 53.3 percent last week. 

Most of the county’s cases have been in people age 25-49, followed by people age 50-64. The county now has as many cases in people age 0-17 as people age 65-74. The least cases have been in people age 75 and above and 18-24. 

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

Booster shots are now also available to many qualified people. 

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 for the virus as well as for flu and pneumonia.