Kenosha County COVID-19 Updates

The Kenosha County Health Department held a public meeting this morning. Linda attended and took these notes:

• COVID Testing is still going on. There isn’t a shortage of tests. Even if someone has just a cough please they should be tested. 
• Short supply of vaccines in WI. 1a is open. plus first responders and 65+. Education and Child Care sector will open on March 1st. 
• State of WI is getting 70,000 doses a week. All Counties have been asking for way more doses than what is coming to Wi. 
• By May they want to open mass community vaccination sites. They also want to work with Churches, apartment complexes, barber shops, etc. when there are enough doses available. 
• Mostly Moderna vaccines in Kenosha County. 
• Vaccine is safe and is effective. f you get a variant of covid19 and you have the vaccine you likely won’t die of it. 
• Something we don’t know yet is can a person spread covid19 if they have both doses. Even if one has had the vaccine they should follow covid procedures if they have been exposed. 
• Trials are being done with vaccines for children. It may be ready by next fall. 
• WI is the best in the Midwest as far as getting vaccines in arms. 
• If you have Covid19 in the last 10 days you shouldn’t be getting a vaccine because you should be isolating. If you have had Covid19 in the last 11 days or more you can have the vaccine. 
• Our infection rate started to come down after the holidays for the percent of people that were positive. Less people are getting tested. Death Rate is still too high. We are averaging about one to two deaths a day. Death rate isn’t coming down in Kenosha. We are still a highly infectious county.
• The state recently opened up the vaccine to parents and child caregivers caring for children birth-3. No credentials required.
• “Essential workers” have yet to be defined in WI. They will begin to be vaccinated in mid March. 
• We are currently 10% vaccinated in Kenosha County. One can check here for most up to date info on how many Kenosha County residents are vaccinated.
• We don’t know yet if the covid19 vaccine will become an annual requirement. By May will know that answer. 
• Health Dept. is already giving out second doses of the vaccine. 
• There is no list for leftover doses. At the end of a clinic day there are some doses at the end of the day. They will give out the doses to walk-ins or they will contact 1a employers to see if they have anyone that can come to Health Dept. by a specific time. 
• Call 262-605-6799 for Kenosha County Vaccination call center to get help to make an appointment for the vaccine. This went live last Wednesday. 
• Homebound populations will be vaccinated soon via a Health Dept. strike team.
• Racine County residents cannot get vaccinated in Kenosha County, unless they work in Kenosha County. 

Barb attended a meeting with city department heads this morning and received the following update:

• KPL staff will begin receiving the vaccine in the mid-March Essential Workers grouping.
• The vaccine and vaccine administration is free to all employees, even those with no health insurance. If you get the vaccine at the doctor's office, United Healthcare will cover the cost of the vaccine, but not the cost of giving it to you.
• The vaccines will be administered over a series of 2-3 Fridays and our staff will be divided among those dates just in case we have more than a couple people who feel sick and can't come to work the next day. 
• We'll probably go to the new Fire Department location on 52nd St or to city hall to get the shot. 
• Only employees will be vaccinated, no spouses. The Mayor had hoped to include spouses, but the vaccine just isn't available.
• We have no other information about logistics. We'll do our very best to make sure it runs smoothly.