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County adds another 21 cases last week with 6.7 percent positive rate

POLK COUNTY—Polk County’s percent positive rate was 6.7 percent last week, which was below the prior week of 7.8 percent. 

The county added another 21 positive cases of COVID-19 last week, putting the total number of cases at 2,418. 

The Polk County Department of Health and Human Services released its weekly dashboard on Friday. 

The Polk County School Board has agreed to allow masks at school to be optional when the county’s percent positive rate is less than 5 percent for 2 consecutive weeks, which has not yet happened. 

The county remains at 49 deaths and 98 hospitalizations, according to Friday’s figures. 

The county’s percent of its population that is vaccinated remains at 43 percent as of last week. 

As of Friday, 9,312 Polk County residents had at least 1 dose of the vaccine and 8,833 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 53.269 percent last week. 

Most of the county’s cases have been in people age 25-49, followed by people age 50-64; people age 0-17 and 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 most 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.