COVID by the Numbers—February 14 Edition

And

Second Doses: The Continuing Saga 

Second doses—This Week’s Challenges:  For those who got their first dose before last Sunday, and who were therefore not given a second appointment with their first dose, scheduling continues to be a challenge.  Most slots were still too far out for the timing of the first shot.  Calls to 211 revealed that new time slots were being added daily, but that they could not all be added at once, because VAMS would not support that.  You still have to cancel the later appointment and hope that there is an eariler one, and most people have been able to rebook in an appropriate time slot.  But there is a new wrinkle.  After rescheduling, quite a number of people have received a followup email saying that they had cancelled an appointment without rescheduling, even though they had, indeed rescheduled.  Checking VAMs shows that the rescheduled appointments are still there in the VAMS system.  Go figure.

For those who should have gotten a second appointment with their first dose, again the reviews are mixed.  I was told that for a while, Keene had no white vaccination cards.  Some have been told what day to come back, but have been told to come anytime.  Some have been told to go to VAMS and get a specific time.  Some have been told to come back at the same time as their first appointment, but have been given no confirmation.  Still a few bugs in the system.

And the Numbers:  

Last week, Walpole had 1-4 active cases.  Then we went back up to 7.  As of this writing, we are at 6.  New cases are holding steady—5 again this week.

In Cheshire County, our seven day average of reported cases per 100,000 went from 20.2 down to 15.3 on the 10^th, and then back up to 19.2 as of today.  Active cases in the county went from 122 down to 101, then back up to127.  Sadly, we have lost another 3 citizens to the pandemic.  That is 1 more than last week.

Statewide, the seven-day average of reported cases has gone from 28.4 to 25.7.  Active cases have gone from 3,661 to 3,365.  Hospitalizations have gone from 186 down to 126.  The death toll has gone from 1104 to 1133.

A case of the South African COVID variant has been reported in NH, so there are undoubtedly others.

Please keep on taking good care of yourselves, and each other.  Don’t let down your guard.  Be careful out there.  The numbers are encouraging, but there is still work to do.

Keep well.

~Representative Lucy Weber

603-499-0282

Lwmcv@comcast.net