With the Biden administration’s announcement that it will end federal COVID-19 emergency declarations in May, public health agencies everywhere are taking stock.
COVID is still very much among us. Last month, more than 15,300 Oregonians were sickened and 92 people died.
Lane County Public Health continues to take stock. Officials say nearly 75% of residents have had at least one vaccine and the rate for folks over 60 is nearly 80% fully vaccinated and boosted.
Spokesperson Jason Davis said COVID-19 is a preventable disease which should be –well— prevented. “Living in community is not just living near each other- it’s living together,” he said. “And that togetherness means watching out for each other and doing things to preserve the health of the greater community.”
Davis asserted, that means getting fully vaccinated—an act of prevention that, for the foreseeable future, will remain free of charge.
Some viruses are embedded within our existence and Davis says taking simple actions to prevent the impact that they have on us is not allowing it to control your life. "It is simply acknowledging a truth and reacting to it," he said. "If we carry that with us, we will be a healthier, stronger community as a result.