Jefferson County Health Department Extends Existing Mask Order Until February 25

January 21, 2021 Brianne Zwiener

Jefferson County Health Department Board of Trustees voted today in a special board meeting to extend the existing mask order in Jefferson County. This extension lasts through 5PM on February 25, 2021. The Board voted in favor of the extension with 3 board members voting yes, one voting no, and one being absent.

“We feel the mask order has had a positive impact in the community,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. “We are seeing our positivity rate below 20% for the first time in 10 weeks. It is important to continue prevention strategies, such as the mask order, until a majority of our population has been vaccinated.”

The official extension and the original mask order can be found on the Jefferson County website at www.jeffcomo.org.

Jefferson County Health Department Reports 11 Additional COVID-19 Deaths

January 20, 2021 Brianne Zwiener

Jefferson County Health Department updated their reports today to reflect 11 additional COVID-19 deaths. These updates bring the total of COVID-19 deaths in Jefferson County to 164.

Two of the 11 deaths were associated with a long-term care facility. The remaining nine deaths reported were based in the community. The residents were:

2 Males, 50’s
Male, 60’s
2 Females, 70’s
3 Males, 80’s
3 Females, 80’s

“Our hearts go out to all those who have lost family and friends to this virus,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. “As we report an additional 11 COVID-19 deaths in our county, we are reminded of the impact our decisions can have, both positive and negative. It is important to remain vigilant and adhere to prevention practices such as hand washing, physical distancing and wearing a mask to reduce the risk of transmission in our communities.”

Jefferson County Health Department will post COVID-19 death information on their dashboard once a week on Wednesday as reports are updated from the state. For the latest updates and more information about COVID-19, visit Jefferson County Health Department website www.jeffcohealth.org.

Jefferson County Health Department Reports 3 Additional COVID-19 Deaths

January 13, 2021 Brianne Zwiener

Jefferson County Health Department updated their reports today to reflect three additional COVID-19 deaths. These updates bring the total of COVID-19 deaths in Jefferson County to 153.

All three of the deaths reported were based in the community. The residents were:

2 Males, 70’s
Male, 80’s

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of those who have passed,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. “We continue to strongly encourage preventative measures such as handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing in order to reduce the risk of transmission within our communities.”

Unified Planning for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in Jefferson County

January 11, 2021 Brianne Zwiener

FESTUS, MO (Jan. 11, 2021) – Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Comtrea and the Jefferson County Health Department have unified efforts to plan for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to county residents. Current planning includes developing a communications plan to inform residents when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and developing a registration system for quick and easy access to local immunization sites.

Our organizations are required to work within the guidelines of the State of Missouri COVID-19 priority distribution plan. The state plan dictates what priority populations are eligible for the vaccine and when vaccinators are allowed to open immunization registrations to the next eligible phase. The state is currently in Phase 1A which includes patient-facing health care workers, staff who come into contact with patients, and long-term care facility staff and residents.

At Mercy Jefferson, the immunization process started with co-workers facing the highest risk of exposure through direct contact with COVID patients then working through lower risk co-workers who have contact with any patients and visitors. Long-term care facilities throughout the county have received vaccine through a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Comtrea and the Jefferson County Health Department have been approved as vaccinators and are awaiting their initial allocations of vaccine.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will determine when county vaccinators can move to the next phase of eligible recipients. Mercy Jefferson, Comtrea and the Jefferson County Health Department continue to monitor updates to the state distribution guidelines and will adjust our local plans accordingly. More information on who falls into each phase is available on the state’s website: covidvaccine.mo.gov/.

For more information, please visit:

www.mercy.net/newsroom/2021/01/08/questions-and-answers-about-the-covid-19-vaccine/

https://www.comtrea.org/covid-19-info

www.jeffcohealth.org/coronavirus-covid19

Jefferson County Health Department Reports 17 Additional COVID-19 Deaths

January 6, 2021 Brianne Zwiener

Jefferson County Health Department updated their reports today to reflect 17 additional COVID-19 deaths. These updates bring the total of COVID-19 deaths in Jefferson County to 150. This is the largest number of deaths reported at once in Jefferson County. All the reported deaths occurred within the last 6 weeks.

Three of the 17 deaths reported were long term care facility associated, the other 14 were based in the community. The residents were:

5 Females, 60’s
Male, 60’s
3 Females, 70’s
Male, 70’s
Female, 80’s
3 Males, 80’s
2 Females, 90’s
Male, 90’s

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of those who have passed,” states Jefferson County Health Department Director, Kelley Vollmar. “As we report our largest number of deaths, it is imperative that residents continue to practice preventative measures like handwashing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask in the new year to reduce transmission and save lives.”

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