Health department shares multiple updates

SHELBY — As the warmer weather approaches, the Shelby City Health Department is gearing up for the mosquito season.

Beth Conrad, the city of Shelby’s director of environmental health, announced the department had secured a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, funding that will be used to fight mosquitoes.

“It’s $12,645, which will help us with the spray,” Conrad said in remarks April 7 to Shelby City Council’s Safety Committee. “The spray is so expensive. It runs anywhere from $1,500 a barrel up to $6,000, depending on which one we’re using at the time.”

Conrad thanked committee Chairman Derrin Roberts and committee member Garland Gates -- members of Shelby City Council -for sponsoring legislation that helps lead to the grant funding for efforts such as mosquito-spraying.

Generally, the mosquito spraying begins around mid-may, Conrad estimated after the meeting.

In addition, the department is looking ahead to a spring cleanup event.

“We’re looking at dates for that right now,” Conrad told the committee. “It’s probably going to be at the end of June when we’re going to try to do the cleanup again.”

In the past, the cleanup has usually occurred earlier during the springtime in the parking lot area behind the old Central school building at 25 High School Ave.

“The problem is we have to block off the roads so people aren’t bringing stuff in when we’re not there,” Conrad said. “And then we have to be there so early in the morning to get them back opened for the school buses.”

When the event was held when school was not in session, it became much easier. “So we just decided to do it after school gets out and have it then,” Conrad said.

Conrad also spoke of the health department’s recent virtual site accreditation visit on March 10-12. “It went really well,” she said.

“In the middle of May, they will either approve us, disapprove us or give us a work plan to get it corrected,” Conrad said.

In other business, Conrad summarized recently announced developments involving the city of Shelby’s coronavirus vaccine efforts and case data.

As of April 7 in Shelby, 827 individuals had tested positive since the COVID-19 outbreak began in March 2020, she said.

In all, “784 individuals have recovered or resolved,” she said. “We’ve had 35 deaths — nine from the general population and 26 from long-term care.”

As of the April 7 meeting, the department was monitoring eight active Shelby cases that involved no hospitalizations.

As for vaccination clinics, first-dose shots have stopped being administered by Shelby’s health department, a pause announced earlier in the week by Mayor Steve Schag. “We don’t have enough demand,” Conrad told the committee. “We were going to have to throw shots out.”

Four additional second-dose vaccine clinics are planned for later in April. “We’ll finish those up,” Conrad said.

For those still looking for coronavirus vaccines, multiple locations are available throughout the region including in Shelby at Discount Drug Mart, Rite Aid and the Third

Street health clinic, Conrad told the committee.

Conrad noted that the Shelby health department’s website has information about locations that are offering the coronavirus shots. The website address is https:// shelbycityhealth.org/covid

In addition, the health department can be reached at 419-342-5226 for help in finding a vaccine clinic.

Vaccine-provider locations and contact information around the state can be found at vaccine.coronavirus.ohio. gov

A central scheduling tool for the COVID-19 vaccines in Ohio is available at Gettheshot. coronavirus.ohio.gov

Also providing updates to the Safety Committee were Shelby Fire Chief Mike Thompson and Shelby Police Capt. Eric Rath. They briefed committee members on activities involving their departments. Check the Shelby Daily Globe for further details on their remarks.