Pulaski County will be moving its COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites next month. Terri Hansen with the Pulaski County Health Department told the county commissioners Monday that vaccinations will continue to be offered at the Winamac Knights of Columbus until May 1. After that, they’ll move to the Health Department office.
“So we’re going to be working on that and then, hopefully, dwindling down to doing the shots one day a week, as the doctor’s offices will be getting vaccine, as well, and, as you know, Meijer and CVSs and those are getting them, too, and so we’ll see how that’s going,” Hansen explained.
Meanwhile, she said the Health Department is looking for a new COVID-19 testing site. OptumServe has been using the Star City Community Center, but it costs the county $700 a month, to pay for the building’s cleaning and utilities. “[County Health Officer] Dr. [Rex] Allman feels confident that we still need them because we’re on the uptick again, especially after spring break,” Hansen said. “We’re back in the yellow again. We look to possibly be that way now for a while. There’s community spread again. And especially with the mask mandate now being just an advisory, a lot of people have taken their mask off.”
Commissioner Mike McClure suggested checking to see if the EMS garage or EMA office might be available. Hansen noted that most of the testing itself could be done on a drive-through basis with sneeze shields required, minimizing exposure inside the buildings.
She also reported that plans are in the works to offer on-site vaccinations for employees at larger businesses and eligible students in the county’s schools.
