County residents respond positively to vaccinations
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declared Tuesday a Day of Remembrance to honor those who lost their lives during the coronavirus crisis. It was a year to the day when a public health emergency was declared in Ohio.
As that remembrance took place Grand Lake Health Medical Director Juan Torres said he sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
Reporting at the monthly Auglaize County Board of Health meeting, Torres said 3,400 people have received a vaccination at the hospital immunization clinics. He said they are holding clinics on a regular basis.
The health department, by comparison, recently hit the 1,000 vaccine milestone.
“We are doing clinics every day this week,” Torres said. “People are responding to receive the vaccine.”
Torres said there is more trust in the vaccine among the public. More vaccines are expected to be available to current providers as manufacturing ramps up.
Torres pointed to CDC guidances that say that after receiving both doses of the vaccine the mask would be optional.
“This is the first ray of light at the end of the tunnel. I think the journey is coming to an end.”
He said they have learned a lot over the course of the journey.
“We have learned a lot and proved that science can be a
good tool to address disasters like this one,” Torres said.
He suggested that by May there might be more normalcy as cases per capita continue to drop. Auglaize County recently moved from a red emergency level to an orange emergency level as that rate dropped locally.
Local reconciliations with state COVID-19 death data continue under new state guidances. Health Commissioner Oliver Fisher said they had only been counting COVID-19 deaths
with a positive test result. The state recently expanded its criteria to include indications from health professionals when a positive test result was not present.
Board members also approved a 2020 projected budget. Fisher said the main change was that the Mom’s Quit for Two program didn’t qualify for a grant as participation dropped. Fisher said there is still enough leftover funds to carry the few participants left through the program.
On March 22 at a District Advisory Council meeting, Dorothy Silver is expected to resign and another board member would be appointed. Fisher said
they try to have representation from throughout the county and would be looking for a member from the St. Marys area.
Curt Anderson, director of Environmental Health, asked for a fee increase in the local portion of vending licenses by 1.4 percent in accordance with the Consumer Price Index. Board members approved the increase.
They approved a seven-day order to provide proof a rabies vaccination to Rick Regula of Wapakoneta.
Board members also approved funds for an employee luncheon during National Public Health Week.