COVID-19 briefs

Friday, May 14, 10 a.m. – Hy-Vee Pharmacies administering free COVID-19 vaccines to ages 12-15

Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that all Hy-Vee pharmacy locations are now administering free COVID-19 vaccines to individuals ages 12 to 15, per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for this age group. Hy-Vee has been offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals 16 and older for several weeks.
Minors must have parental or guardian consent in order to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Hy-Vee asks that a parent or guardian accompany minors to both their first and second dose COVID-19 vaccinations. Individuals can walk in to receive the vaccine, or make an appointment in advance online.
For those who prefer to make a vaccine appointment in advance, they can visit www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine, select “Find Appointments” and complete the digital vaccine informed consent form and appointment selection. COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone, regardless of whether they have insurance or Medicare Part B coverage.

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Friday, April 30, 11 a.m. – Hy-Vee Pharmacies offering free COVID-19 vaccines without appointments

Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that all Hy-Vee pharmacy locations now offer free COVID-19 vaccines with no appointment necessary to provide the option to walk in and receive the vaccine when it’s convenient for the recipient.
For those who prefer to make a vaccine appointment in advance, that option is still available by visiting
www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine, selecting “Find Appointments” and completing the digital vaccine informed consent form and appointment selection. COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone, regardless of whether they have insurance or Medicare Part B coverage.

Friday, April 9 - Vaccination appointments remain available for Saturday clinic

Free Pfizer shots offered to all 16 and older

Appointment opportunities remain for Saturday’s mass vaccination clinic scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Spencer High School field house. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, 665 Spencer area residents had registered to receive their first of two scheduled shots, leaving 505 vaccination appointments available. Vaccinations are by appointment only to prevent lines and promote social distancing.

“Clay County Public Health, Avera Medical Group Spencer and Spencer Hospital all have personnel working at the vaccination clinic,” Spencer Hospital spokesperson Susan Zulk said of the cooperative effort. “In addition, Spencer Community Schools, Clay County and the city of Spencer are anticipated to provide support. The clinic will be staffed by approximately 40 people.”

To schedule an appointment online, visit https://calendly.com/clayph/covid-clinic-april-10.

Zulk advised anyone in need of transportation assistance to get to and from their scheduled vaccination appointment, contact Rides at 1-800-358-5037 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday to reserve transportation assistance. There is no charge to the passenger for transportation to and from the vaccination clinic.

"As health care providers, we often hear how anxious people are for a return to normalcy,” said Dr. Amanda Young, family practice physician with Avera Medical Group Spencer. “Getting immunized to help protect you and others from COVID-19 also helps curtail the spread of the virus, which is necessary for a return to normalcy. Also, getting vaccinated helps prevent serious disease and as a physician, I can't stress enough that you do not want to be someone who is facing long-term consequences a COVID-19 illness may have."

For those unable to arrange a time for vaccine Saturday Clay County Public Health along with partners AMGS and Spencer Hospital, will continue to offer vaccination opportunities in the coming weeks with smaller scale clinics according to Zulk.

“Watch the Spencer Hospital website for updates,” Zulk said. “Also, in our area, vaccination opportunities are available most days of the week through local pharmacies. Given the increased number of vaccine provider options in the area in recent weeks, we're finding that many people are seeking the option that offers the earliest access. This is a positive development in that it shows interest by local citizens to receive the vaccine remains significant.

She added, “Since this is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the second dose will be administered three weeks later, on Saturday, May 1, also at Spencer High School.”

Friday, April 9 - 42% of Clay County’s 18 and over population vaccinated

With an upcoming vaccination clinic scheduled for this weekend, the Clay County Board of Supervisors questioned Clay County Public Health Coordinator Colette Rossiter about the current COVID-19 landscape in the county. Rossiter said she expects local pharmacies to begin receiving a steady allocation of COVID-19 vaccines in the near future, which will increase vaccine availability.

“As of (Tuesday) morning we cumulatively have 2,055 cases of COVID diagnosed in Clay County residents,” Rossiter said. “Twelve of those were just reported (Monday) so we’re still seeing quite a bit of disease out there. … We are definitely seeing more of our citizens being vaccinated which is very exciting. Number-wise total doses given to Clay County residents: 8,350. And of those doses, 1,838 have started the two dose vaccine and 3,993 have completed the two dose vaccine series which brings us back if you have add those together it’s 5,158 people will be vaccinated here shortly with both doses. That puts us at 42% of the 18 and over population. … We still have a ways to go. If you look at the overall population that would be 32% of our whole population but we know that kids up to 16 cannot be vaccinated.”

Supervisor Dan Skelton asked Rossiter if the current allocation of 300 doses of Moderna vaccine will be the same in the month of April.

“Things change week to week but that’s what we’ve been told,” Rossiter said.

Friday, April 2 - Mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic planned in Spencer

No charge for anyone receiving shot

As all Iowans ages 16 and older become eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning next week, a large-scale vaccination clinic is planned in Spencer on Saturday, April 10, at Spencer High School. This vaccination clinic is open to anyone regardless of county or state residence to schedule an appointment to be immunized.

Clay County Public Health, Avera Medical Group Spencer and Spencer Hospital are collaborating with Estherville Pharmacy to offer this large-scale vaccination clinic. The Estherville Pharmacy secured a federal allocation 1,170 doses of Pfizer vaccine, which is approved for ages 16 and older. Pfizer is a two-dose vaccine with the second dose given three weeks after the first dose, so a corresponding vaccination clinic for the boost does is set for Saturday, May 1.

"We're excited for the opportunity to get more people in our region vaccinated against COVID-19 and the timing is great, since any Iowan over age 16 will be eligible to be vaccinated next week," said Colette Rossiter, Clay County Public Health coordinator.

"As health care providers, we often hear how anxious people are for a return to normalcy,” said Dr. Amanda Young, family practice physician with Avera Medical Group Spencer. “Getting immunized to help protect you and others from COVID-19 also helps curtail the spread of the virus, which is necessary for a return to normalcy. Also, getting vaccinated helps prevent serious disease and as a physician, I can't stress enough that you do not want to be someone who is facing long-term consequences a COVID-19 illness may have."

To schedule an appointment online, visit https://calendly.com/clayph/covid-clinic-april-10.

For those who do not have the ability to schedule online, the appointment scheduling call center will open at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, to provide scheduling assistance. The call center can be reached at 264-6514.

Those who register will be asked to bring with them the following items:

• Identification card (examples: driver's license, government issued ID).

• Insurance card (If do not have insurance, bring social security card and ID. There is no charge to anyone getting vaccinated. The pharmacy is reimbursed by Medicare or insurance for vaccine administration.).

• Completed consent form. A link to the consent form is included in the online registration process and also available on the vaccination information page at www.spencerhospital.org.

Also, wear a mask when entering the facility and throughout your vaccination experience.

Tuesday, March 30 - Clay positivity rate creeping close to 10%

Vaccines to open for all April 5

The return to countywide mandatory masking is on hold for at least another week as the Clay County positivity rate fell a hair short of the 10% benchmark, finishing at 9.8% for the week Sunday, up from 8% the previous seven-day period. The numbers continue to advance the past three weeks after reaching a low of 1.7% on March 1.

“After reaching a low in positivity rates and case numbers in early March, local rates and numbers have been trending upwards in recent weeks,” said Colette Rossiter, with Clay County Public Health.

Eligibility to be vaccinated against COVID-19 opens for all Iowans on April 5.

“When you have an opportunity to get vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you, please consider taking that opportunity,” Rossiter encouraged. “… Meanwhile, continue to wear a mask to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to reduce your risk of becoming infected.”

Clay County had 66 new positive cases, leaving it just shy of 2,100 at 2,099. Spencer Hospital had only one COVID inpatient during the previous week at the county death total has remained at 25 since rising from 23 the week of Feb. 1.

Numbers in the eight neighboring counties fluctuate with Dickinson County in double digits at 14.7% and Emmet County sitting at 9.9%. Osceola is currently showing 7.5% and the other five counties are at 5% or lower. Buena Vista had the lowest percentage of the week at 2.5%.

The number showed a sizable increase from March 8-15 raising from 2.7% to 7.3% after reaching a recent low of 1.7% on March 1. The county mask mandate was lifted after the Clay numbers fell below 10% on two consecutive weeks on Feb. 15. Should the positivity mark surpass 10% in the county again, the mask mandate automatically goes back into effect.

Wednesday, March 17 - Reynolds plans to open vaccine eligibility to all adults

Less than 10 days after COVID-19 vaccine eligibility opened to Iowans 64 years of age and under with certain medical conditions, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced plans for eligibility to widen further. During her press conference Wednesday, Reynolds said all adult Iowans will become eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines by April 5, as long as vaccine allocations increase as planned.

“As vaccine supply increases, getting life back to normal finally becomes possible,” Reynolds said. “It’s something that we’ve all wanted to happen sooner rather than later and it’s been hard to be patient. But now that our national vaccine supply is projected to significantly increase in the next two weeks and Iowans have demonstrated our ability to work together and ensure vaccine is administered efficiently and responsibly, I’m confident that we’re prepared to open up even more. Today I’m announcing all Iowans will be eligible for vaccination starting Monday April 5 as long as the vaccine allocation increases as we’ve been told and as we are expecting.”

Susan Zulk, vice president of marketing and fund development at Spencer Hospital, said once the eligibility expands on April 5, messaging from health officials in the county would need to transition from statements of “we appreciate your patience as vaccine supplies are limited” to a message encouraging individuals to consider getting immunized to “protect their health and that of others.”

“Though weekly vaccine allocations have been limited, by steadily using all the vaccine allocated each week, the public health team, along with area pharmacies which have been receiving vaccine, have been able to provide thousands of doses locally, which has eased the demand,” Zulk said.

According to Zulk, Clay County Public Health’s weekly mass clinics have been serving groups of 200-300 individuals, to receive their first or second doses of vaccine. While Zulk expected Clay County’s allocation of 300 doses per week to remain stable through March, she said if more vaccine is allocated mass clinics would expand accordingly.

“To date, Clay County Public Health has only received Moderna vaccine,” Zulk said. “Walgreens received Pfizer for the long-term care vaccination program, and Hy-Vee has received both Pfizer and Moderna. We've had a number of people asking if Johnson & Johnson would be allocated locally as they are interested in the one-dose vaccine. We hope either public health or another health entity will receive some J&J vaccine, yet have not received notification of any pending allocations.”

The same day as the governor’s press conference, the Iowa Department of Public Health issued a release stating 38 additional cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in the U.K., SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7. had been confirmed in Iowa. Both Reynolds and Zulk encouraged those eligible to get vaccinated when they can.

“When a virus has an opportunity to spread, it can mutate; which is why variants of COVID-19 are being detected, even locally,” Zulk said. “Researchers believe that the variant strain circulating in Iowa can be spread more easily than the original strain of the virus. To stop the spread of the virus, we continue to encourage health mitigation steps of thorough hand washing, social distancing and masking. We also encourage people to take their opportunity to get vaccinated when they become eligible. Having more people protected against COVID-19 not only keeps them healthy, it's important for the health of our community as well.”

“Getting vaccinated is the most important thing that each of us can do to ensure that our state's recovery from COVID-19 is both strong and sustainable,” Reynolds said. “We all want life to get back to normal: For our businesses to rebound, for our high school seniors to graduate together, our church communities to gather again fully in person and our families to be reunited. All these things are possible and soon, but like everything else over this past year it will depend on all of us doing our part for the greater good. So please, let’s pledge you’ll be vaccinated as soon as you can and encourage your family member, friends and coworkers to do the same. We’re all in this together, so let’s finish strong together and I think we’re going to get that accomplished.”

Tuesday, March 2 12:30 p.m. - Clay County Mask Ordinance Lifts

In accordance with the COVID-19 positivity rate parameters established in the Clay County mask resolution last December, the mask ordinance has been lifted.

"The resolution the board of health recommended, which was approved by the board of supervisors on December 1, stated that once the 14-day positivity rate was under five percent for two consecutive Sundays, the mask resolution would be lifted," explained Dr. Janessa Mechler, chairman of the Clay County Board of Health. "It also states that if the 14-day positivity rate reaches 10 percent, it would be reinstated."

As of Monday, March 1, the Clay County 14-day positivity rate for COVID-19 is 1.7 percent.

"We advise citizens to remember that many businesses and organizations required masks to be worn prior to the county-wide mask mandate and may continue to require masks within their facilities," Mechler said.

Mechler noted that positivity rates have fluctuated throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency and emphasized that mitigation precautions remain important.

"The lower positivity rates are encouraging as are the weekly vaccination clinics," Mechler added. "However, the vaccine allocation locally remains limited and a low percentage of our local population has been immunized. Because of this, we encourage the public to still be vigilant in practicing the health mitigation techniques of social distancing, thorough hand washing, and when social distancing isn't possible, wearing masks over their mouths and noses when in public spaces."

Monday, March 1 - County vaccine call center taking appointments again

Line to go active at 1 p.m. Tuesday until spots are full

Those Clay County residents who qualify in Phase 1B and Tier 1 will be able to schedule vaccine appointments by calling into the Clay County Vaccination Appointment Scheduling Line beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday until appointments are filled. The phone number is 264-6514 or toll-free, 1-800-848-0638.

“When all lines are full, it will ring busy,” explained Susan Zulk, with Spencer Hospital. “Please do not call the hospital or clinic as those phone systems cannot transfer to the call center.”

The Iowa Department of Public Health informed the 99 county public health departments to anticipate the same weekly allocation of vaccine in the first two weeks of March as was distributed throughout February.

“Through February, Clay County Public Health and partners vaccinated more than 2,100 individuals with their first dose of vaccine,” Zulk said. “Of these, more than 1,000 individuals were age 65 or older.

She noted, “These figures do not include individuals immunized as long-term care residents or workers who were vaccinated through the federal pharmacy program, which was administered locally by Walgreens. This also doesn't include any vaccine that was distributed directly to Hy-Vee Pharmacy through the corporate Hy-Vee federal pharmacy partnership.”

According to Zulk, the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency authorized use and is being distributed in Iowa this week. Initially, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being sent to approximately 17 counties identified by state officials.

Zulk indicated other area healthcare partners, such as local pharmacies, will receive limited supplies of vaccine, which means their schedule may also fill quickly and not reflect appointment availability. She encouraged the public to watch their websites for more information.

Hy-Vee pharmacies are receiving COVID-19 vaccine through a federal partnership. For information on immunization opportunities, check the Hy-Vee website. Currently Hy-Vee Pharmacy is scheduling online only and are asking the public to not call. Hy-Vee Pharmacy COVID-19 vaccine information is available at hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

Thrifty White Pharmacy will have vaccination opportunities, which also can be scheduled online, when available at thriftywhite.com/store/715-s-grand-ave-spencer-ia.

Vaccine Finder is an online service which helps users in searching for COVID-19 vaccine availability across the country: It can be accessed at vaccinefinder.org and the state of Iowa has launched a new webpage, vaccinate.iowa.gov.

The state of Iowa is transitioning its 211 call center to accept calls from senior citizens who do not have access to technology and/or need assistance in scheduling a vaccination appointment.

Thursday, Feb. 25 - Clay, 6 other counties fall below 5% positivity rate

Vaccine appointments full, call center will not open this week

Spencer Hospital did not admit any patients last week due to COVID-19 diagnoses and only two patients were hospitalized in the nine-county area. Also, local positivity rates are looking great, with seven of the nine counties under 5% positivity rates. Clay County’s positivity rate fell from 7.2% to 2.8%. With regard to Clay County’s current mask regulation in place, it shall be lifted when the level of positivity in Clay County has fallen under 5% over a 14-day average for two consecutive Sundays as indicated on coronavirus.iowa.gov. Only Dickinson County, at 8.4%, and Palo Alto, at 5.4%, remained above the 5% positivity threshold last week. Last week, Clay County call center filled appointments for both last week and this week’s clinic, so there will not be a call center this week. According to the hospital’s Facebook site, "Total Positive Cases in NW Iowa," some of the county increases appear quite dramatic. This data all comes from the state of Iowa's website which apparently had a data adjustment of some statistics within the week. The site noted Buena Vista County has reported 16 new COVID-19 cases within the past seven days; however, the total case number in BV County changed by more than 600 from last week.

Thursday, Feb. 25 - Spencer Hospital visitation restrictions updated

To protect patients, families, healthcare workers and community during the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, and to prevent further spread of the disease, visitor restrictions all patients and permitted visitors who enter Spencer Hospital or any of the clinics must bring and wear a mask, covering nose and mouth.

Additional guidelines include:

—Inpatients in ICU and Medical-Surgical Unit (second and third floors): One visitor per patient permitted within the facility. No visitors for patients with COVID-19 diagnosis unless receiving end-of-life care.

—Birth Center and Surgery Center: One visitor/support person.

—Behavioral Health: No visitors permitted due to congregate setting.

—Outpatients: No visitors in general; one visitor may accompany patients who require assistance, patients scheduled for OB ultrasounds, and pediatric patients age 17 years or younger.

—Emergency patients: Patients may be accompanied by one visitor; visitors cannot rotate.

—Patients who are receiving end-of-life care (as determined by physician): Two visitors at a time.

—Pediatric patients (age 17 and under): Pediatric patients hospitalized as inpatients (admitted to the Medical-Surgical floors or Intensive Care Unit) may have two parents/guardians visit. Outpatient pediatric patients may be accompanied by one parent or guardian. Only one parent or guardian with a pediatric patient in the emergency department.

—Warner Dialysis Centers: For the safety of our patients receiving dialysis treatment, no visitors are permitted at the Spencer or Spirit Lake Centers effective March 16, 2020.

—Adult outpatients are asked to come alone, unless physical assistance is required. Also, obstetric patients scheduled for an OB ultrasound may be accompanied by one person.

—Surgical patients may be accompanied by one person who must remain in the surgical area during the patient’s procedure.

—Avera Home Medical Equipment: To prevent further spread of COVID-19, Avera Home Medical Equipment of Spencer Hospital patients may wear a mask and come into the building or call ahead for curbside delivery. Avera Home Medical Equipment of Spencer Hospital can be reached at 580-3923.

Monday, Feb. 15 - COVID-19 vaccination clinics for week of Feb. 16-20

Clay County Public Health has received a limited allocation of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Feb. 16-20. Vaccination clinics will continue to be conducted for those who meet the Priority Group 1B, Tier 1 eligibility category per state guidelines and those age 65 and older, who qualify throughout all five of tiers within Priority Group 1B. Clinics are by appointment only.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center lines will open on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. and will remain open until all appointments for the remaining clinics in February are filled. The call center has 10 phone lines. When all lines are full, callers will receive a busy signal. If you reach a busy signal, hang up and redial. Your patience is appreciated. The call center line is 712-264-6514 or toll-free at 1-800-848-0638.

Remember, do not call public health or your clinic with vaccine questions at this time to avoid tying up phone lines for those with health concerns contacting their health professionals. Also, health officials cannot return calls to everyone who leaves messages expressing concerns regarding the inability to schedule an appointment.

As the vaccine becomes available to more people, information will be shared broadly through local media partners and Spencer Hospital's Facebook.

Thursday, Feb. 4 - Regional vaccine distribution sites announced

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 289,737 vaccine doses had been administered statewide in Iowa with 276,337 of those doses going directly to Iowa residents. A total of 74,098 have received both the first and second doses. Of the doses administered, 164,833 have been Moderna and 123,904 have been Pfizer. All numbers are from coronavirus.iowa.gov. There continues to be a very limited supply of COVD-19 vaccines in Iowa according to information on the website. Not all providers may have vaccines at this time. Prior to calling the vaccine provider directly, check the vaccine provider website if available. Vaccine providers may not have online scheduling capacity deployed yet.

CLAY COUNTY VACCINE SITES

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 819 Grand Ave., 262-5611, https://hy-vee.co/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Spencer Hospital Community Health Department, 116 E. 11th St., Spencer, 264-6380, https://SpencerHospital.org.

—Spencer Municipal Hospital, 1200 First Ave. E., Spencer, 264-6198, website not yet available.

—Thrifty White Pharmacy, 715 S. Grand Ave., Spencer, 262-1523, https://thriftywhite.com.

—Walgreens Phamacy, 800 Grand Ave., Spencer, 262-0231, https://walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19.

—Walmart, 500 11th St. SW, Spencer, 479-273-4000, website not yet available.

DICKINSON COUNTY VACCINE SITES

—Dickinson County Public Health, 2301 Highway 71, Spirit Lake, 339-6050, https://lakeshealth.org/covid-19-vaccination-questions-and-answers.

—Hy-Vee Clinic Pharmacy, 1012 Okoboji Ave., Milford, 715-338-4865, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 1500 18th St., Spirit Lake, 336-4551, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Lakes Regional Healthcare, 2301 Highway 71, Spirit Lake, 336-1230, website not yet available.

—Lewis Family Drug, 2202 17th St., Spirit Lake, 336-4731, https://lewisdrug.com/stores/lewis-family-drug-spirit-lake-ia.

—Walmart, 2200 17th St., Spirit Lake, 479-273-4000, website not yet available.

BUENA VISTA COUNTY VACCINE SITES

—Buena Vista County Public Health and Home Care, 1709 E. Richland St., Storm Lake, 749-2548, website not yet available.

—Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, 1525 W. Fifth St., Storm Lake, 732-4030, website not yet available.

—Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Pharmacy, 620 Northwestern Dive, Storm Lake, 213-8065, https://bvrmc.org/our-services/bvrmc-pharmacy.

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 1250 Lakes Ave., Storm Lake, 732-1364, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 409 W. Fifth St., Storm Lake, 732-4819, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—United Community Health Center, 715 W. Milwaukee Ave., Storm Lake, 213-0109, website not yet available.

—Walgreens Pharmacy, 800 Lake Ave., Storm Lake, 732-0005, https://walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19.

—Walmart, 1831 Lake Ave., Storm Lake, 479-273-4000, website not yet available.

O’BRIEN COUNTY VACCINE SITES

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 1989 Park St., Sheldon, 324-0020, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Lewis Family Drug, 610 Park St., Sheldon, 324-4331, https://lewisdrug.com/stores/lewis-family-drug-sheldon-ia.

—Mercy One Primghar Medical Center, 255 N. Welch Ave., Primghar, 957-2300, website not yet available.

—O’Brien County Public Health, 155 S. Hayes Ave., Primghar, 957-0105, https://obriencounty.iowa.gov/departments/public-healthsanitation.

—Sanford Sheldon Medical Center, 118 N. Seventh Ave., Sheldon, 324-5041, website not yet available.

—Thrifty White Pharmacy, 127 N. Main St., Paullina, 949-3490, website not yet available.

PALO ALTO COUNTY VACCINE SITES

—Hughes Pharmacy Services, 2216 Main St., Emmetsburg, 852-2886, website not yet available.

—Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 3402 Main St., Emmetsburg, 298-4142, https://hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

—Palo Alto County Community Health, 3201 First St., Emmetsburg, 852-5419, website not yet available.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1:11 p.m. - Clay County Public Health to receive additional vaccine doses

Last week Clay County Public Health announced it was notified that 100 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine would be available this first week of February. However, recently the allocation was updated resulting in a total of 300 doses being shipped to its Spencer office this week.

A by-appointment-only clinic will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, for those who meet the aforementioned Phase 1B, Tier 1 eligibility requirements. Public health is working directly with first responders, schools and childcare centers to schedule appointments. To capture in-home childcare providers and county residents age 65 and older who have high-risk health conditions, a scheduling phone line will be open for a short time period Wednesday afternoon until the clinic is filled.

The scheduling line will be open on Wednesday, Feb. 3 beginning at 3 p.m. and will close once all appointment slots are filled. The direct line is 264-6514 and toll-free line is 1-800-848-0638. Again, only appointments for those eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 1B, Tier 1, with a focus on medically high-risk senior citizens will be taken. The phone system has several lines so several schedulers will be available to answer calls. Please do not call other healthcare offices or clinics as they cannot schedule your appointment.

Monday, Jan. 25 - Clay COVID-19 deaths top 20

With two more passings, the total number of COVID-19 deaths surpassed 20, reaching 21 as the daily positive case counts remained at approximately 20 a day. The number of positive cases in the county reached 1,726 this week, up from 1,662 last week, as the positivity rate jumped from 11.8% locally to 13.1% this week. The 64 positive cases in the past week were the highest in the nine county region.

Thursday, Jan. 21 - State of Iowa updates tiers in 1B Priority Group

Public Health looks forward to offering more COVID-19 vaccine opportunities

Currently, in accordance with a vaccination shortage directive from the state of Iowa, Clay County Public Health and Spencer Hospital are vaccinating health care personnel while local pharmacy partners are immunizing long-term care residents, which are included in the 1A priority group.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has announced moving to Priority Group 1B by Feb. 1. On Thursday, Jan. 21, the Iowa Department of Public Health updated the Priority 1B group to include persons age 65 and older, and established tiers within the 1B group.

Vaccination clinics are being planned for February, yet dates and times of the clinics will not be finalized and announced until Clay County Public Health officials are notified of when vaccine will be received and how much vaccine will be allocated. The number of people who can be scheduled will depend on how much vaccine is received. Appointments will be scheduled to avoid lines and maintain social distancing.

"Our local healthcare team is looking forward to the opportunity to help more people achieve immunity in our local community," said Colette Rossiter, coordinator for Clay County Public Health. "We are developing a team of professionals to staff the clinic and have other community partners eager to assist. The largest variable in establishing clinics and sharing that information with the public rests upon how much vaccine we'll receive and when."

For those interested in tracking progress of the vaccination rollout across the state, the Iowa Department of Public Health has added a new "vaccination information" tab to its website at coronavirus.iowa.gov.

Spencer Hospital also has a dedicated page on its website regarding local COVID-19 information and has a new page for information on the COVID-19 vaccine. For updates on vaccination opportunities in our area, check the Spencer Hospital website, the hospital's Facebook page and local media partners.

Friday, Nov. 27, 9:50 a.m. - Spencer Hospital Tightens Visitor Restrictions as Inpatient Numbers Surge

Spencer Hospital has tightened visitor restrictions effective immediately following a surge of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

On Tuesday the number of inpatients ill with COVID-19 surged to 22, which is triple the number of COVID-19 patients from a week ago.

Effective immediately, no visitors are permitted for adult patients on the inpatient units of Medical/Surgical (west second and third floors), Intensive Care and Behavioral Health. No visitors are permitted in the emergency room. Pediatric patients (under age 18 years) are permitted two parents to visit.

At this time, there were no changes to the current Birth Center visitation policy, which permits one visitor a day. Also, surgical patients may be accompanied by one family member or friend.

Anyone coming to the hospital as a visitor or patient must wear a mask at all times.

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2:15 p.m. - Hy-Vee offering 'high risk' shopping hours

Hy-Vee is reinstating its reserved shopping hour for customers considered “high risk” in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases throughout its eight-state region. The reserved hour will be offered at all Hy-Vee locations from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and is dedicated for these customers:

• Ages 60 and older

• Expectant mothers

• Anyone with an underlying health condition(s) that makes him/her more susceptible to serious illness

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the areas we serve, we believe it’s necessary to bring back this special hour to best serve customers who are at a higher risk of serious illness. Hy-Vee remains committed to our customers during these challenging times and will take all measures necessary to keep them and our employees safe.

All other customers are asked to please respect this hour reserved for these at-risk customers, and limit their shopping to before or after the 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. hour, Monday through Friday.

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 3 p.m. - COVID CLOSURES - City of Spencer

Due to rising COVID-19 cases in our community and throughout our staff, effective immediately, through Dec. 31, 2020, Spencer City facilities will be closed to the public. We will continue to serve the community through electronic means. The transfer station will remain open and mitigation strategies will be in effect. At this time, there will be no disruption to garbage and recycling services. We appreciate your patience as we all navigate this hurdle together. Please call City Hall if you have questions, at 712-580-7200.

Thursday, Oct. 22 - Clay County reaches 500 total positive COVID-19 cases

Clay County reached a new milestone during the coronavirus pandemic, reaching a total of 500 positive cases of COVID-19 since late March on Wednesday and totaling 504 by Thursday. Clay County Public Health Coordinator Colette Rossiter gave an update during a Spencer Chamber of Commerce Zoom meeting Wednesday morning.

“We’re having quite a surge of cases locally not just in Clay County but in northwest Iowa in general,” Rossiter said. “Our hospitals, including Spencer as well is seeing more patients, more sick patients, more patients being transferred. … I believe we’re at 500 now. If you cut that in half when we hit 250 that was just six weeks ago. In the past six weeks we have doubled our case counts since our first case was identified at the end of March.

She continued, “We’re definitely having more of a surge now than when we had our first spike in June. Partially attributed to school, obviously that is not the main problem. The main problem is community spread. As a health care person and public health we want to prevent this from getting out of control. ... COVID we know doesn’t’ impact everyone the same, most people recover with very few symptoms or complications, there are those that do have more, those are the people we want to protect … We definitely can do better with our public gatherings when we all wear masks.”