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Vaccines arrive this week

Posted Monday, December 14, 2020 5:32 pm

County’s COVID cases reach 1,243

As of press time on Monday, Dec. 14, Jo Daviess County reported 1,243 COVID cases since the spring. There were 23 new cases since Dec. 11 and 65 new cases since Dec. 7.

Approximately 1,150 of these cases have recovered. There have been 23 deaths in the county since the start of the pandemic with two since last Monday.

As of Saturday, Dec. 12, the three highest areas in Jo Daviess County for COVID have been 377 cases in the 61036 zip code (Galena), 230 cases in the 61085 zip code (Stockton) and 194 cases in the 61025 zip code (East Dubuque).

Grant County, Wis., has reported 3,838 cases as of Dec. 13 with 70 deaths. The census tract that includes Hazel Green and Kieler had 382 cases as of Dec. 13 and six deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Dubuque County, Iowa, has reported 10,008 cases since the spring and 125 deaths.

GALENA–According to Sandra Schleicher, Jo Daviess County public health administrator, the county will receive its first allocation of COVID-19 vaccines at Midwest Medical Center this week. Those vaccines will be administered to health care workers.

Schleicher said the county’s vaccination plan has not been approved by the state at this time, but she anticipates another allocation of vaccines will arrive next week. Plans call for more health care workers to receive the vaccine, as well as possibly EMS volunteers.

At this time, the Jo Daviess County Health Department is planning to vaccinate at its location in Galena when more doses of the vaccine become available to the county. The public is currently not able to sign up to receive the vaccine.

According to Schleicher, long-term care facilities are a part of the federal plan for vaccinations, and CVS or Walgreen’s pharmacies will administer the vaccines to long-term care residents. Schleicher was uncertain about when that will take place in Jo Daviess County.