Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin held a press briefing on October 8, including taking questions from reporters and community members. Dr. Duchin provided the latest information on COVID-19, vaccination rates, and guidance on booster shots.

Dr. Duchin also discussed his thoughts on the next stage of the pandemic:

The big-picture COVID-19 pandemic forecast is improving, primarily thanks to our vaccines, but the pandemic isn’t going to end quickly or predictably, but gradually. I think we may be entering a transition phase, moving away from the large, damaging surges we’ve experienced and towards a time when we will still need to grapple with this virus but can manage the threat more effectively, primarily with vaccines. In addition, we’ll need some ongoing behavioral and environmental changes, like masking in high-risk settings, improved indoor air with attention to ventilation and filtration, widely available testing, and medications. The next few months should provide a better indicator of our trajectory.

– Health officer dr. jeff duchin

Originally published October 8, 2021.