Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Georgia Johnson, manager of Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford, receives her first dose of Moderna's mRNA-1273.
Southeast District Court Judge James Hovey, also a volunteer EMT with CASNR, was also among the first to receive a vaccine from Eddy County Public Health Nurse Danette Schmid.
Georgia Johnson would much rather have a needle in her arm than a swab up her nose or in her throat. And it wasn't hard to come to that conclusion. As an employee of the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd, she's been tested for COVID-19 a whopping 40 times since Gov. Burgum first ordered long term care staff and residents to receive routine virus tests this spring. It's also worthy of note that all 40 of those tests have been negative, no small feat given the spike in cases our county has seen this fall.
Johnson, who is also the manager of the Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford, was among 20 local first responders who received the county's first doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 21. Eddy County Public Health Nurse Danette Schmid administered the vaccines, assisted by Lisa Thompson
Moderna, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, developed the vaccine, mRNA-1273, which was authorized for emergency use by the Food & Drug Administration on Friday, Dec. 18. Immediately after the authorization, hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine were shipped throughout the country.
Moderna announced a supply agreement with the U.S. government for an initial 100 million doses of mRNA-1273 in August, two weeks after Moderna entered Phase 3 trials for the vaccine. The U.S. government expects to vaccinate about 20 million people by the end of December using Moderna's vaccine. The company expects to have between 100 million and 125 million doses available globally in the first quarter of 2021, with 85-100 million of those available in the U.S.
Each person must have two doses of the vaccine, administered one month apart, in order to have maximum protection offered by the vaccine. The Moderna vaccine needs to be frozenat minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the vaccine is thawed for use, it can be kept refrigerated at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 days.
As the North Dakota Department of Health rolled out its vaccination plans this past week, new COVID-19 cases dropped to levels not seen since early September. On Monday, there were 78 new positive tests reported throughout the state. Total active cases had fallen nearly 75% to 2,655.
Gov. Burgum announced that bars and restaurants could resume normal hours as of Tuesday, Dec. 22, after more than a month of restrictions requiring them to close for indoor service from 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. These establishments remain limited to 50% of their licensed seated capacity, not to exceed 150 patrons, until 8 a.m. Jan. 8. Seating arrangements and tables must allow for at least 6 feet of physical distance between individual parties; dance areas must be closed; service must be provided to seated patrons only; and masks must be worn by owners, managers and employees at all times, and by patrons except when eating or drinking.
A State Health Officer order requiring face coverings to be worn in public settings where physical distancing isn't possible, remains in effect until 12:01 a.m. Jan. 18. Banquet, ballroom and event venues also remain limited to 25% of their maximum occupancy, not to exceed the ND Smart Restart capacity limits, until 8 a.m. Jan. 8.
Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus package Monday, with $600 checks expected to be in the hands of residents within a week following President Trump's signature. The bill also expands $300 per week additional unemployment benefits for 11 more weeks.The relief is part of a $2.3 trillion package that includes $1.4 trillion to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2021.
Senator John Hoeven issued a statement after Congress approved additional COVID-19 relief to support individuals and families, small businesses, including farmers and ranchers, and provide much needed resources for health care and vaccine distribution.
The bill provides $13 billion for agriculture, including support for producers of non-specialty crops by providing a payment of $20/acre. North Dakota producers are estimated to receive upwards of $360 million and an inventory top-up payment for cattle producers to more closely align payment rates under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Programs.
Additionally, the legislation provides up to $600 in direct financial assistance for individuals and funds a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help small businesses and their employees. Also, note the legislation extends pandemic unemployment insurance programs and includes a $300 federal supplement for 16 weeks and provides rental assistance and extends the federal moratorium on evictions through January 31.
Eddy County Public Information Officer Tiffany Harr released helpful COVID-19 resources for residents who continue to deal with pandemic related pressures:
Parents Lead has some information on Parenting in a Pandemic: The Holidays and 30 days of Holiday fun which offer ideas for new traditions or how to celebrate the holidays safely during the pandemic. Their website is http://www.parentslead.org/COVID-19.
Mayo Clinic has information on the myths and facts in regards to the COVID-19 vaccines on their website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859.
A smartphone-based tool called V-safe is available for people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which will provide information to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on side effects. Fnd information on V-safe at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html.
The North Dakota Human Service Behavioral Health Division has resources to help support people during this pandemic. Their website is https://www.behavioralhealth.nd.gov/helpishere. Call 701-223-1510 to talk with a trained counselor.
Reach for Resilience was created by healthcare workers for healthcare workers to respond to all of the pandemic-related challenges in our lives. The service is free, confidential and open to all healthcare workers in North Dakota. Reach for Resilience is a helpline and resource center for healthcare professionals, formed in partnership between Sanford Health and the North Dakota Department of Human Services' Behavioral Health Division. Go online to https://reach4resiliencend.com/.
