Finding a place to put a COVID-19 testing site remains a challenge for Pulaski County. The county had been hosting an OptumServe testing site at the Star City Community Center but decided to move it to a county-owned building at the end of last month, to save on costs.
Pulaski County Incident Management Team Liaison Nathan Origer told the county commissioners Monday that the Health Department had secured space in the Coroner’s Office, but it isn’t working out.
“The last I knew on Friday is that they were using the autopsy room,” Commissioner Chuck Mellon said.
“Yes, and then there was an autopsy today, and they had to be booted,” Origer replied.
“Well, I thought the understanding was they would work from their cars, then,” Mellon said.
“That is my understanding, and it did not go very well,” Origer reported.
Origer said the Health Department had also asked about the EMS and EMA offices, but there were difficulties making those work. The Health Department itself doesn’t have room because it’s now hosting COVID-19 vaccinations. He said the only other available county-owned facilities are the basement of the courthouse and the highway garage meeting room, but no final decisions were made.
Origer said vaccinations are now being offered Thursdays from 11:00 to 7:00 at the Pulaski County Health Department. “Pulaski Memorial has coordinated with Plymouth Tube and BraunAbility to provide on-site vaccinations,” Origer added, “and they have gone to both schools to vaccine 16- or 17-year-olds with Pfizer.”
He said the hospital is planning more vaccination clinics on May 11, June 8, and June 29. After that, they hope to transition the vaccination process to individual doctor’s offices.
