JCPH, EMA work hard during pandemic to keep us informed

     About a month ago, I attended one of the community vaccine clinics organized by Jones County Public Health in Anamosa. I got to see first-hand how well-run the clinic was from when you walked in the door to check in, filled out the paperwork, got your shot, and left.

     This weekend, I was one of those Jones County residents who was finally able to receive my first dose of the COVID vaccine.

     I am always early for everything, whether it’s an interview for a story, a meeting, anything on my calendar. It’s ingrained in me to be early. So on Saturday, I was 25 minutes early for my appointment. By the time I checked in, filled out the required paperwork, turned it in, received my shot, and scheduled my second dose, it was 2:10 p.m., the time of my actual appointment. They were well ahead of schedule!

     It’s been over a year since Jones County has been dealing with this pandemic. Since it began in mid-March 2020, JCPH and EMA have been providing weekly updates concerning case count, positivity rate, and, early on, where the county stood on PPE.

     A few weeks ago, JCPH started releasing the numbers in terms of those who have been vaccinated, those who completed the first dose and those who completed the series (two doses). Now, I can proudly say I am one of those who is halfway to being fully vaccinated.

     As the county winds down its community vaccine clinics, both JCPH staff and volunteers and EMA deserve a huge congratulations and thanks for all of the work they put into keeping the public healthy and informed over the last year or more. While working remotely, they provided regular updates during the Jones County Supervisor meeting, as well as to the local media. Staff also answered all of my questions, and believe me, there were lots of questions!

     These were unprecedented times for a department that does not maintain full-time staff. Prior to COVID, the county did not employ a full-time Public Health team. Jenna Lovaas, Jess Wiedenhoff, and Kaci Ginn were all part-time, and Kaci was a college intern at that. It’s safe to say they’ve put in an endless number of hours in the last year.

     From a personal perspective, I can’t thank JCPH and EMA enough for their wealth of information, time, and patience. I couldn’t do my job of informing the public, our readers, without these agencies staying informed and answering their emails and phone calls.

     We owe a debt of gratitude to JCPH and EMA for helping us get through this pandemic.