JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — After 34 weeks in red and orange status, Jefferson County returned to yellow status Tuesday.
For the first time since June 28, 2020, Jefferson County's 7-day average for new cases per 100,000 residents dipped below the orange status threshold of 10. On Tuesday, the 7-day average of cases per day was 9.84.
“We are thrilled to see the county in YELLOW status,” Jefferson County Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said. “As we approach one year of COVID-19 in Jefferson County, to see the numbers decreasing and mitigation efforts positively impacting the outcome is rewarding.”
In addition to the decrease in cases in the county overall, the county has reported no new cases in long-term care facilities. It is the first week without a new case at a long-term care facility since March 23, 2020.
“Though we are excited to share that our color status has dropped to yellow, we must stay the course with our prevention efforts to maintain the gains we are currently seeing,” Vollmar said in the press release. “We encourage residents to continue masking, handwashing, and practicing physical distancing, and consider getting immunized when they are eligible.”
According to the Missouri vaccine dashboard, Jefferson County is lagging behind the statewide averages. According to the dashboard, 10.7% of Jefferson County residents have received at least one dose and 5.63% have been fully vaccinated. The Missouri dashboard says 16.8% of people in the state have received at least one dose and 9.0% are fully vaccinated.