Jackson County Public Health reports 29 new COVID-19 cases

MEDFORD, Ore. — Jackson County Public Health reports 29 new COVID-19 cases as of 12:01 am on December 24, 2020. Additionally, Jackson County Public Health reports one new COVID-19 death, bringing the total deaths to 64. These updates bring the total reported COVID-19 cases in Jackson County to 5,488.

Jackson County’s 64th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman who tested positive on November 10 and died on December 22 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

How the COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Distributed: COVID-19 vaccines are 95% effective and have undergone rigorous safety testing. Vaccination gives us hope that the pandemic will end. Our best protection from COVID-19 will be a combination of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands often. No one tool alone is going to stop the pandemic.

The vaccine is currently not available to the general population; Oregon is in the 1A phase of distribution. As the Oregon Health Authority and community partners work to make vaccines widely available, the fastest way to get our schools, businesses, and communities back open is to keep working together. We’re going to have to continue to use the tried-and-true methods we know stop the spread of this disease: wear a face covering, limit group size, keep distance, wash hands and stay home when sick.