TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: Clay County finally gets to ‘blue’ level

After weeks of waiting, the Indiana State Department of Health confirmed Wednesday that Clay County’s Two-Week Metric Score is now .5 and a zero in the 7-Day All Tests Positivity Rate, puts it in the BLUE.

However, the overall Advisory Level Category remains in YELLOW. The Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents has a score of 1, which also places it in YELLOW.

But, ISDH data that signifies the virus spread rate level in the county is trending downward.

Among Clay County residents tested, the demographics show:

Of those tested for COVID-19 in Clay County since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, 54.1% were female, 45.7% were male, and .3% were unidentified.

All teachers now eligible

Teachers and staff in pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 (pre-K–12 schools) and childcare workers age 50 and older can get vaccinated at any site. Those under 50 can currently get vaccine at Kroger and Meijer.

The list of additional groups in Phase 1-B who are now eligible

PHASE 1-B

• Age 50 and older — Eligible

• Age 45-49 — Eligibility date to be determined

• Age 40-44 — Eligibility date to be determined

High-risk conditions

Initial groups of patients identified by their healthcare provider as highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Other These individuals will receive a unique registration link or may call 211 after receiving the notification:

• Active dialysis patients

• Sickle cell disease patients

• Down syndrome

• Post-solid organ transplant

• People who are actively in treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) for cancer now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers (lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma)

• Early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood:

• Cystic fibrosis

• Muscular dystrophy

• People born with severe heart defects, requiring specialized medical care.

• People with severe type 1 diabetes, who have been hospitalized in the past year.

• Phenylketonuria (PKU), Tay-Sachs, and other rare, inherited metabolic disorders.

• Epilepsy with continuing seizures, hydrocephaly, microcephaly and other severe neurologic disorders

• People with severe asthma who have been hospitalized for this in the past year

• Alpha and beta thalassemia

• Spina bifida

• Cerebral palsy

• People who require supplemental oxygen and/or tracheostomy

• Pulmonary fibrosis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin

• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, combined primary immunodeficiency disorder, HIV, daily use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, receiving tumor necrosis factoralpha blocker or rituximab.

• Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled individuals receiving home/community-based services. (Family and Social Services Administration will provide patient information for this community.)

Veterans

Veterans of any age who already receive care at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System or the

Roudebush VA Medical Center (Veteran Health Indiana) are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Educators

Teachers and staff in pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 (pre-K–12 schools) and childcare workers age 50 and older can get vaccinated at any site. Those under 50 can currently get vaccine at Kroger and Meijer.

Other eligible groups and high-risk conditions will be added as more vaccine becomes available.