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THIS WEEK: Are we ready to declare an end to the pandemic?

In the past few days Rock Island and Scott counties report few, if any, new COVID-19 cases

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — It's a big difference as we head into the 4th of July this year, than last year.

The now retired Scott County Health administrator Ed Rivers was seeing disturbing COVID-19 numbers leading up to the 2020 Fourth of July holiday.

"We continue to see very high numbers that started last week for cases that started in the Quad Cities," he said back then.

And as for infectious disease specialist Dr. Louis Katz, he was blunt about the cases before the 2020 holiday.

"It's gotten worse," he declared.

But now, it's gotten better.

Much better.

But is the pandemic over?

"I would like to declare that," said Dr. Toyosi Olutade, UnityPoint Trinity chief medical officer on "News 8 THIS WEEK with Jim Mertens.

"It is almost over," he hedged.

"I would say the reason it's not over, over is that we have so many people who still need to be vaccinated."

You can listen to our entire interview with Dr. Toyosi Olutade on THE CITIES PODCAST.

For several days in late June, 2021, Rock Island and Scott counties both reported days where not a single person was diagnosed with COVID-19.

And UnityPoint and Genesis Health Systems both reported no new COVID-19 hospitalizations.

"I think we are celebrating a significant improvement and its something to feel good about," said Dr. Kurt Andersen, Genesis Health's chief medical officer.

But it's been a long path to get to this point.

In the Quad Cities, there was a small wave of new cases in May 2020 leading up to the Fourth of July.

Then it built to new heights of daily cases in mid-November through late February.

It put a huge strain on area medical resources.

"It was almost at a breaking point," Dr. Olutade remembered.

"I remember pleading with the community to help us fight this pandemic."

The new coronavirus vaccines are getting much of the credit...

And the fear that not enough people get a shot in the weeks to come could get much of the blame if another surge is seen.

"The vaccine has made a tremendous difference in what is happening right now," said Dr. Olutade.

Dr. Olutade said the safety and protection of the COVID vaccines is unparalleled and locally, doctors have not seen any serious adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine among children over the age of 12 and adults.

"We have not seen vaccines in modern history, even in the history of medicine, this effective," he said.

"Generally we talk about 70% effectiveness and we're good with that.  But here we're reaching into the 90's the upper 90's.  It's really exciting to see how effective these vaccines are."

You can watch "News 8 THIS WEEK with Jim Mertens" Sundays at 10 a.m. on WQAD News 8.

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