By Jon Johnson
GREENLEE COUNTY – On Friday, the Greenlee County Health Department reported two new deaths attributed to COVID-19.
The additional deaths increase the county’s total to 15 for the course of the pandemic, with seven from the Duncan area, six from the Clifton area, and two from the Morenci area.
The two most recent deaths were residents in their 60s and 70s from the Clifton and Duncan areas, respectively.
The health department also listed an additional four confirmed cases to bring its total for the pandemic to 868, with 182 currently active cases, 671 recoveries, and 15 deaths.
Graham County continued to average more than 20 new cases every day and reported 25 new confirmed cases on Friday to bring its total to 6,753 for the course of the pandemic, with 844 currently active cases, 5,812 recoveries, and 97 deaths.
Health experts advise the best way to avoid sickness or death and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to become vaccinated against it, just as people are vaccinated against other diseases. While breakthrough cases may occur in vaccinated people, the virus is far more likely to be caught by someone who is not vaccinated. Additionally, vaccinated people are much more likely to be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms if a breakthrough case occurs. Nearly all of the patients hospitalized locally for COVID have been unvaccinated.
The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services offers free vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Children 12 and up can receive the Pfizer vaccine, and adults can have any of the three. The health department provides the vaccine Mondays-Wednesdays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Thursdays from 2 – 5 p.m., and the Pfizer vaccine on Thursdays and Fridays from 5 – 7:30 p.m. Click here to register to receive a vaccine.
