MONDAY'S COVID-19 UPDATE: Clay County stays in RED category

As of noon on Monday, January 11, 2021, the Indiana State Department of Health continues to show Clay County in the RED category on the Dashboard’s Color Code System.

The county’s COVID-19 data shows a 31.8% 7-Day Unique Positivity Rate among the unique people tested – those not previously tested - during Dec. 28-Jan. 4, 2020.

This data has been increasing for about a week, while the overall 7-Day Positivity rating using all test data is 18.8%.

A county must remain at a lower Weekly Two-Metric Score for two consecutive weeks to move down to a lower advisory level. (The ISDH COVID-19 Data Report is updated daily at noon. However, it regularly uses data 24-48 hours old to help ensure the report’s accuracy.)

Indiana COVID-19 vaccine

The Indiana Department of Health confirms the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming available but urges people to be patient due to the limited supply.

Vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna are now available and will be free. However, vaccine providers can bill a patient’s insurance for a fee to administer the vaccine but will not charge the patient. The Pfizer vaccine will not initially be available for children under age 16 or younger than age 18 for the Moderna vaccine.

Early clinical trials of the vaccine show no adverse effects for pregnant women, but if pregnant, officials urge women to discuss the process with a healthcare provider before vaccination.

According to the ISDH, if you answer yes to any of the following questions, you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:

• Are you age 80 or older?

• Do you work or volunteer in healthcare and have (physical or close) contact or face to face interactions with patients? Examples include:

Inpatient, outpatient, provider office setting, nursing homes, residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, in-home services

This includes all clinical and non-clinical positions: clinicians, dietary, environmental services, administrators who have direct contact with patients, clergy who see patients in the healthcare setting, non-clinicians who assist in procedures, transportation staff, etc.

This also includes local health department staff who interact with patients at test sites, health clinics or provide direct patient care

• Do you have exposure to COVID-19 infectious material? (Examples include cleaning of rooms or material from COVID-19 patients, performing COVID-19 testing, other exposure to infected tissue, performing autopsies or other post-mortem examinations of COVID-19 patients)

• Are you a first responder (fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, reservists and volunteers) who has contact with the public and could be called to the scene of an emergency?

Eligible Hoosiers can schedule a vaccination online (https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine) or by calling 2-1-1 if they do not have access to a computer or need assistance registering. Eligible professionals should receive an invitation and registration link from their employer, professional association, or the State of Indiana (Indiana Department of Health, Professional Licensing Agency, Family & Social Services Administration, Department of Homeland Security, or another state agency). If you are a licensed healthcare provider, make sure your email is updated with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency and continue to check your email and SPAM.

If you are eligible and haven’t received an invitation, please ask your employer.