Relaxed mask laws see Covid cases on the rise

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Mesa County’s Free to Choose mandate has been in full effect for weeks now and Covid cases are on the rise. New updates from the public health department are saying young adults and children are among the groups seeing increased cases.

Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) officials state that with reduced mask use, maintaining social distance and vaccines are more important than ever. Of the cases they have tracked, nearly 50% are from gatherings of friends and family members. It’s during these mass gatherings that people tend to become more relaxed and don’t sanitize to the extent that a local business or restaurant would and these relaxed protocols are affecting children the most.

“Especially now we are starting to see an increase in our children getting infected with Covid and the only way that we can protect them is for their parents, their caregivers, and anyone that works with children needs to get vaccinated as well because at the end of the day they can’t protect themselves so we need to protect them,” states Jeff Kuhr, Executive Director of MCPH.

Many in the community have received a first dose of the vaccine but there is a staggering number of Mesa County residents who are not getting the second dose. The reasons vary for why people are missing their second shots. Some reportedly are concerned about the side effects. Others say they believed they are protected with a single shot. But Mesa County Public Health encourages everyone to get their second shot.

With 21 new Covid cases in the hospital yesterday the trend is nonetheless troubling to officials who are working to keep the numbers of only partly vaccinated people from growing.

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