Human Services of Martin County issues a weekly report of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in the county.

When they have come out lately, the reports are not encouraging.

Martin County has passed the 3,000 COVID cases mark. We sit at 3,218 total cases with 112 new cases recorded last week. The total number of COVID-19 confirmed related deaths is 35 since the pandemic began.

It is discouraging that in the second year of the COVID pandemic, we are dealing with numbers of cases that rival the height of last year, and this at a time when we have the means to protect ourselves. Vaccinations started last December, and by April, nearly 4,000 doses a month were being given in the county. That monthly number has dropped to under a thousand in August and September, and 788 so far this month. In the county, 9,856 people have at least one vaccine dose. About 77% of the population over 18 is vaccinated, but that number isn’t going up.

Getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves and others from the COVID-19 virus.