HILLSBORO, Mo. — Judging by the positivity rate, Jefferson County is in what health officials consider in the COVID red zone. Measured by the number of new cases - they've blown right through it.
"Seeing the numbers continue to rise, it's frustrating sometimes because you want what's best for your community," said Brianne Zwiener with the Jefferson County Health Department.
Zwiener said for the past several weeks Jefferson County's COVID cases have slowly, but steadily creeped up.
And Wednesday, the county broke a record it doesn't want. The county reported 237 new cases over the past week in those 19 years old and younger.
"That's the highest that we've ever reported since the beginning of the pandemic," said Zwiener, who said the cases in young people over the past week make up roughly a third of all new cases in the county.
"It's very concerning," she said. "We are worried about the kids."
Health officials say the Delta variant is hitting kids harder than the original strain of COVID. Add to that, those 11 and younger can't yet get the vaccine, and there is concern cases among young people will only go up as the school year continues and the holiday season brings more people together.
The best solution, they say, is for those who are eligible to get the vaccine - which may be a challenge in a county with a 36 percent vaccination rate.
"This time last year, it was a different story. We had a low risk of transmission among our children," said Zwiener. "With the Delta variant the game has changed."