- Today’s weekly report from the Florida Department of Health indicated an 18.1% Covid-19 positivity rate for the State and a 15.5% positivity rate for Palm Beach County over the previous 7 days. The prior week was 15.1% for the State and 12.5% for Palm Beach County. These rates of new infections are alarming as health experts have recommended sustained positivity levels for two weeks of below 5% before considering the virus contained. Click on the link at the end of this alert to read the State report.
- Dr. Alina Alonso, Palm Beach County Health Director, reported to emergency management officials today that the current positivity rates we are experiencing are in stark contrast to the period from May 5 – June 30, when rates were consistently below 5%. She reported a significant increase in local hospitalizations, with the majority of patients in the 19 – 49 age group, of which 98% of them are unvaccinated. She also reported the Delta variant, which is by far the dominant strain in Palm Beach County, is 90% more contagious than previous variants and more lethal.
- Vaccines are widely available for individuals 12 years old and up. As of yesterday, only 49.6% of the US population has been fully vaccinated. The Town strongly encourages those who have yet to receive a vaccination to do so immediately. The CDC has previously reported that a MINIMUM of 70% of the TOTAL population is required to begin achieving herd immunity but the longer it takes to reach this percentage, the greater the chance of additional variants, which could become even more transmissible and more resistant to current vaccines than the Delta variant.
- The Town is currently in a declared State of Emergency, due to the significant rise in new Covid-19 infections within Palm Beach County. This public health emergency DOES NOT impose any restrictions on businesses, residents, and visitors of the Town. However, the Town does have a policy in place requiring masks for all employees and visitors (regardless of vaccination status) to Town-owned government buildings, including Town Hall, the Police Station, Fire Stations, Recreation Center, Tennis Centers, Golf Course, and the Public Works facility. The Town has not and cannot issue mandates regarding masks for private businesses.
- The Town will continue to follow CDC guidelines and strongly encourage residents and businesses to continue doing the same, including the CDC’s recommendation to require masks indoors due to the fact that vaccinated individuals can also transmit the virus while they are asymptomatic.
- Information about vaccinations and other matters related to the Covid-19 Pandemic can be found on the Town or CDC websites by clicking the links below.
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