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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Chilton County has risen to the very high risk category for COVID-19, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The county has had 125 new cases in the past 14 days. This is out of 885 who were tested.

So far, 922 residents have tested positive for the antibodies to COVID-19 and 10,852 have completed getting a vaccine.

The high risk category means that cases are not declining and the percentage of those testing positive is higher than 10% of those being tested.

Chilton County Health Department, St. Vincent’s Chilton, Cahaba Medical Care in Maplesville, Dr. Ritky C Dy Medical Clinic, Winn-Dixie, Walgreens and Walmart are listed as vaccine providers on the state health department’s website.

As of July 27, the CDC was recommending that even those who have been vaccinated wear a mask when indoors in counties it listed with substantial or high transmission risk to prevent getting or spreading the Delta variant. Chilton County is listed as high transmission.

The Delta variant was “first detected in the United States in March 2021. It was initially identified in India in December 2020.”

Masks are also still recommended for those with weakened immune systems, even after they have been vaccinated.