By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Ellis County Health Department was scheduled to receive its first batch of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning.
The vaccine will be distributed under the CDC's Phase 1a protocols, which includes health care workers.
Jason Kennedy, Ellis County health officer, told county commissioners Monday night the vaccine would be made available to county health department workers, EMS staff and staff at First Care Clinic, which is a federally qualified health center.
The county will receive enough vaccine for the county health department and EMS staff who have requested the vaccine. The county has also reached out to other community health clinics about vaccinating their staffs.
Kennedy noted although the vaccine with be offered to county health care staff, as an employer, he will not require any staff members to be vaccinated.
HaysMed also received its first allotment of vaccine for its staff this week.
Under the CDC's plan, long-term care facility residents will also be a part of the first phase of vaccinations.
Six percent of the U.S. cases have been among long-term care facility residents, but they have accounted for 40 percent of the deaths, according to the CDC. That accounts for almost a half a million cases and 69,000 deaths as of Nov. 15.
A majority of the COVID-associated hospitalization among patients older than 75 were also admitted from long-term care facilities.
Kennedy said the county will not receive enough doses this week to fully implement Phase 1a of the CDC's vaccination plan and will probably remain short of the quantity needed to complete the phase for some time.
Vaccinations of long-term care residents will be handled through private pharmacies under federal contracts.
Phase 1b of the CDC plan will include essential workers, such as teachers, utility staff, police, fire, corrections staff, transportation staff, and food and agriculture workers.
Phase 1c will include adults at high risk and adults 65 years old or older.
Kennedy said Ellis County hit its virus peak on Nov. 23. At that time, the county was averaging 45 new cases per day, 15 Ellis County residents were hospitalized and the county's positivity rate was 45 percent.
As of Monday, the county was averaging 13 cases per day, 10 residents hospitalized and the county's positivity rate was 14 percent.
The city's wastewater testing is also showing improvement in terms of COVID indicators.
At the county's peak, it was testing about 160 people per day, but the county is now averaging about 5o tests per day.
Although fewer residents are being tested, Kennedy said you also have to look at other numbers, such as the positivity rate, which has also decreased, to determine the prevalence of the illness in the community.
Testing is still being offered at a mobile site in the Big Creek Crossing parking lot. Kennedy said he did not know if that will continue after the first of the year. He said it will depend on if the federally government continues to fund the testing into the new year.
"Things are improving in Ellis County, and the vaccine is finally here," Kennedy said.
Although Kennedy said for the first time he can say an end is in sight for the pandemic, residents still need to be vigilant.
"We need people to make good decisions, good personal choices, follow the best public health measures until we can get widespread vaccination," he said.
Kennedy noted the community has been very supportive of him while community health officers in other counties have left their jobs because of negative pressure from their communities.
"That will be the deciding factor of how we get through the back side of this — is how we support each other and how we work together," Kennedy said. "We are still in the tunnel. Make no mistake.
"Things are improving. We are finally at a point where we can see light. There is something we are marching toward right now. Continue to make good choices and protect yourself and your loved ones."
In other business, the commission:
• Accepted a donation from Buckeye Wind Energy. The donation will be used to purchase bags for new self-contained breathing apparatus for county fire. The commission approved the purchase of the new masks last week.
• Approved a purchase of a diesel-fired hotbox at a cost of $23,915. The device is used to heat asphalt that is used in fixing potholes.
• Approved the purchase of a new motor grader at a cost of $255,363 with trade in.
• Approved the hiring of two truck drivers for the public works department.