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Polk administered 500-second doses of the vaccine on Feb. 10

MILL SPRING—Polk County has now administered more than 3,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with 2,623 administered as of last Friday and another more than 500 on Wednesday of the second vaccine for area residents who qualify. 

The county is currently administering vaccines for phase 2 people, which includes anyone over the age of 65. 

Polk County Health and Human Service Director Joshua Kennedy said this week that since the survey was launched in November 2020 for community interest for the vaccine, the county has received more than 7,900 submissions. The county is now asking for people who are no longer interested in getting the vaccine or who may have received the vaccine elsewhere to remove themselves from the county’s list. People who have filled out the survey and want to be removed should have received a link via email this week. 

As of last Friday, Polk County has had a total of 1,248 positive cases of COVID-19, with 25 deaths and 1,132 patients presumed recovered, according to the latest county health data. There were 8 tests pending as of last Friday, Feb. 5. 

The percent positive rate was 7.8 percent. 

The county’s percent positive rate is currently on a downward trend, with the peak being in January. 

Polk has had 53 of its positive cases having to be hospitalized. 

As of Feb. 5, Polk County had completed 16,099 tests. The county has in the last several weeks switched its focus more on vaccines than on testing. 

There continues to be more females who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Polk County at 54.77 percent as of the end of last week, compared to 45.23 percent in males. 

The age range of positive cases continues to be the highest in people age 25-49, followed by age 50-64. Positive cases in people age 65-74 were about even with people age 75 and above, followed by people age 0-17 and people 18-24, according to the county’s latest data. 

People interested in information regarding COVID-19 in Polk County can call the county’s message line at 828-722-5086 or visit polknc.org on the COVID tab for other information and links.