Jan 13, 2021
According to Webster County Health Department Director Kari Prescott, Phase 1B vaccination guidance for the COVID-19 vaccine was received today, but the department has not received the vaccines.
“Iowa is still in a vaccine shortage,” said Prescott. “We are not administering to these populations yet. When we are able to vaccinate in Phase 1B, it will depend on how many doses that we receive which will be tiered within Webster County. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page, local media outlets, and the Webster County web site. We will announce there when Webster County is administering phase 1B.”
Webster County Health Department continues to administer Phase 1A vaccinations to health care workers as well as skilled nursing facility staff and residents. Iowa Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that it anticipates mass doses of the vaccine to be available to 1B populations in February.
cthompson@messengernews.net
The Wednesday before Christmas, three men at the Beacon of Hope men’s shelter learned that they tested positive for COVID-19, according to the shelter’s executive director, Steve Roe.
And in the week that followed, four more men tested positive.
“Our guys are getting sick,” Roe said. “We have more testing positive every day and some are pretty sick.”
Roe announced on Wednesday that the shelter has been locked down.
“I feel I have no choice but to go into lockdown,” he said. “No one in and no one out.”
About 32 men stay at the shelter. The oldest resident is in his late 70s. The youngest is about 25.