With COVID-19 cases and hospitalization on the rise, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has issued a “Covid Advisory” for Adair, Macon and Randolph Counties.
DHSS believes the Delta variant is the major cause of the increase. In the past 14 days, there have been 75 new reported cases in Randolph County, 69 in Adair, and 39 in Macon. The department expects the disease to spread northeast from Southwestern and Central Missouri along the U.S. Highway 63 corridor.
The percentage of people that have completed vaccination in Adair County is 33.3%, in Macon County 28.4%, and in Randolph County 24.2%. State health officials say these counties are below the state rate of 40.4%. Experts say at least 70% – 80% of people, depending on the type of variant virus, need immunity to provide the best chance of minimizing spread within a community.