As part of the series of articles being sponsored by local leaders and organizations, I’d like to continue to voice my support for continued actions and efforts by the citizens of Eddy County to prevent the continued spread of this virus by means that are within their control. The freedoms we have in this country afford us with the agency to choose. However, when those choices begin to impact and affect the livelihood and capabilities of those around us, we need to examine our choices and actions.
In a recent discussion with one of the County Commissioners, Commissioner Cordova, who is a health care provider, expressed her severe concern about the resurgence in the number of cases in the County. Through her contacts and networks, she is keenly aware that local medical resources for testing were becoming overwhelmed. Last week, they were testing at least 90 patients daily. The number of positive results are continuing to rise, we’re seeing the impacts on businesses again, as some are having to close as a result of positive cases, and people are out of work because of quarantine and isolation protocols. This is extremely frustrating.
One of the dilemmas that local leaders are trying to understand is reluctance by our citizens to be vaccinated. Commissioner Cordova continued, “I respect personal decisions, but I also have a duty to protect others from harm. Knowing the vaccine reduces severity of symptoms, shortens duration of illness, and keeps you out of the hospital, is the message we have got to get out and I 100% support the County pushing this message. As I have said, I would much rather deal with a day or so of flu-like symptoms than have a patient or someone I care about end up in the hospital on the vent. It’s not pretty, and the after effects of COVID are not easy to overcome.”
The County has been an advocate for providing our citizens with the opportunity to receive a vaccination. A joint effort with the County, the City of Carlsbad, the Department of Health, and the local hospital, began the first week in March of this year and continued through the third week in July to conduct a vaccination clinic every Monday, the exceptions being Memorial Day and 4th of July holidays. That effort resulted in nearly 3,300 vaccinations being provided.
That effort, along with local pharmacies, hospitals, and other providers in the County, have resulted in a vaccination rate of only 41% of our population. That outcome, as recognized by national, state, and local standards shows Eddy County to be very under vaccinated and susceptible to a resurgence in the spread of the virus.
The last three weeks have clearly manifested the truth of the under vaccinated vulnerability in the County. The County has experienced nearly 500 positive cases of COVID-19. Those conditions have not been experienced since the last two weeks of January, which was the downside of the peak infections experienced beginning after Thanksgiving last year and running through February. During that time frame, businesses, the schools, and the public, were under the most rigorous constraints imposed by State Health and Executive Orders.
One consequence of this resurgence as expressed by Commissioner Cordova is the strain being experienced by our medical resources. Resources that now have to focus on COVID-19 infections that might otherwise be applied to other medical needs. That’s just one of the consequences, several others have been mentioned here.
Back to my initial thoughts about choices. The choices we make as citizens of the County to address the immediate issues associated with this resurgence will define the next three or four months of how our collective lives are affected. Will schools have the approvals to return to in-person learning, which is so sorely needed? Will previously imposed restrictions by the State be re-applied? Will the negative effects of the virus impact members of our family or friends? The choices are up to us as individuals in how we chose to address this concern. Will our choices negatively affect those around us? I sure hope that’s not the case.
Allen Davis
Eddy County Manager