Ward County commissioners plan to make another effort to address weeds on a vacant property in north Minot after hearing again from concerned neighbors. The
Ward County commissioners are moving toward making COVID-19 antibody testing available to county residents.
Commission Chairman John Fjeldahl began advocating for antibody testing two months ago when the commission approved providing rapid tests for county employees. He said he’s been frustrated by the lack of progress during that time. He and Ward County Emergency Manager Jennifer Wiechmann reported to the commission Tuesday on where things stand.
Fjeldahl said the state will provide test kits for free but will not process the tests. He said Trinity Health would be willing to train staff to do the processing, but the county also learned insurance will not cover the costs of processing because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined the tests are no longer medically relevant in the age of the vaccines. That also means the antibody testing isn’t eligible for 75% cost sharing through the Federal Emergency Management Administration as a COVID-19 emergency exp