The majority of new cases of COVID-19 in Chautauqua County continue to involve those not vaccinated.

According to information by the county Health Department, 67% of the cases recorded since Aug. 1 — totaling 155 — are among those who have not received a dose. Eight, representing 3%, are partially vaccinated; 40, or 17%, are fully vaccinated; and 29, or 13%, involve those whose vaccination status is not known.

There have been 232 cases reported since the beginning of the month, a significant increase compared to previous months.

According to New York state’s online vaccine tracker, 65,784 Chautauqua County residents to date have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s about 60% of the eligible population. Meanwhile, 60,433 residents are considered fully vaccinated.

The rates are much lower in Cattaraugus County. According to the state, 34,754 Cattaraugus County residents have received at least one dose, while 32,077 have completed their vaccination series.

In Chautauqua County, 13 new confirmed cases were reported Wednesday. There are currently 113 active cases, an increase of six from Tuesday; seven people with the virus in the hospital, no change from Tuesday; 249 people in quarantine, an increase of eight; and a seven-day positivity rate of 5.4%, down from 5.8% recorded the previous day.

The CDC level of community transmission remains at “substantial.”

U.S. health authorities on Wednesday recommend an extra dose of the vaccine for all Americans eight months after they get their second shot. That means the biggest vaccination drive in U.S. history is about to get even more extensive.

The move is being driven by both the highly contagious variant and preliminary evidence that the vaccine’s protective effect starts dropping within months.

The vaccination drive has been slower than the Biden administration had hoped for. At the same time, the variant is spreading aggressively through unvaccinated communities and also causing an increasing number of “breakthrough infections” of fully inoculated people.

Studies show the vaccine remains highly protective against severe COVID-19, but results from Israel released last month suggest its effect wanes. Its effectiveness against symptomatic infection peaked at 96% two months after study participants got their second dose. By six months, it was down to about 84%.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.