On Thursday, Waco Mayor Dillon Meek and the Waco McLennan County Public Health District Director updated the community on the current status of COVID-19.
"It is expected that this month will be the deadliest for our county since the start of the pandemic," said Lashonda Malrey-Horne with the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.
As of Wednesday, there have been 96 McLennan County residents have died from COVID-19; according to Malrey-Horne, this includes the county's 1st pediatric death.
"The health district is mourning with the family of an 11-year-old boy who was our first pediatric death caused by COVID-19," said Malrey-Horne."I had a chance to speak with his mother and she informed me that she and all her family, that were eligible, were vaccinated."
Children under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccines; the health district director said this leaves the responsibility of protecting children, and vulnerable communities up to those who are eligible.
"September 2021 is now our highest COVID-19 fatality month since the start of the pandemic," said the City of Waco.
Visit https://t.co/DGJCd7NrqI for more detailed information. pic.twitter.com/u4qFyACT0l
— WacoMc Public Health (@wacohealthdept) September 29, 2021
Currently, 50 percent of McLennan County residents are fully vaccinated and 19,000 people within the county have gotten their first dose, according to the health district.
While new cases and hospitalization rates have begun to decline there's still a significant amount of virus in the county, according to the health district director.
"We saw a lot of people in the community receive the first dose of the vaccine in the last two months," said Mayor Meek. "Please get your second dose as soon as you are eligible."
