Eligible residents in Polk County are being vaccinated against COVID-19 at a lower rate than the state as a whole, Lakeland Regional Health’s v.p. over nursing tells News Channel 8. April Novotny says the hospital has seen an uptick in new cases and hospitalizations during the last two weeks. In Polk, around 19% of people 16 and older are fully vaccinated. The statewide rate exceeds 23.6%. | County-by-county map

Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.
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