November 21, 2024

More vaccine scheduled for Union County

A medical assistant fills a new syringe at the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the District 300 Central Office on Harnish Road on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 in Algonquin.  Teachers filtered in five at a time every fifteen minutes to get the first of two dosages of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Union County is set to receive 200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine per week during the month of February, Union County Emergency Management Director Jo Anne Duckworth said during the Union County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday at the Union County Courthouse.

Duckworth said she had received the information in an email from Public Health Nurse Robin Sevier. Sevier said, in the email, that hopefully the number of doses available will go up after that.

Later that day Greater Regional Health posted information on its website and through the Alert Iowa system, that a waiting list had been established. Those 65 or older may go to the GRH website and click on the orange bar or those without internet access may call the COVID-19 hotline number, 641-745-0124, Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m.

The employees at the Union County Law Center received their vaccines Wednesday. Duckworth said those vaccines were not a part of the 200 received for the general public.

Duckworth said Union County’s 14-day positivity rate is 7.9% with a seven-day rate of 6% on Monday. As of Tuesday morning, according to coronavirus.iowa.gov those numbers were 5% and 3% respectively.

“It’s dropping, that’s good news,” Duckworth said.

Union County has had 30 deaths and 1,157 total cases of COVID-19.

The Union County Board of Supervisors meets weekly 9 a.m. Monday at the Union County Courthouse, 300 N. Pine St. The supervisors are still meeting in person at this time, but the public is encouraged to submit comments for public forum by mail, email or telephone to help limit the gathering to 10 participants.

REGINA SMITH

Reporter, columnist, teacher, children's book author, book store owner - Regina Smith has a wide range of experience in writing and education. She combines those interests and experiences to cover city and county government and human interest stories as well as writing a biweekly column in her home town of Creston, Iowa.