Community immunity from COVID-19 has not been achieved in Lane County. At the current rate of vaccination, it is predicted to take well into the fall-- or later-- to get there. And that has public health officials concerned.
With a significant portion of the community unvaccinated there is greater potential to spread variants, or even allow for brand new variants to develop. Public Health spokesperson Jason Davis said they have picked up two confirmed samples of the highly transmissible Delta variant in the county.
“Now those two cases though, we believe are only representative of a larger sector of cases. We believe the Delta is already spreading throughout Lane County,” he said.
Another worry is the large number of unvaccinated health care workers in long term care facilities countywide. Davis said even though most are vaccinated, elder residents are at greater risk of severe illness and even death, if infected by unprotected caregivers.
