First District Health Unit shifted into a new gear in serving its seven-county area with the addition of a new mobile unit that arrived Feb. 28. The district
First District Health Unit officials voiced interest Thursday in working with the City of Minot and Ward County to develop a plan for using money from an opioid
jschramm@minotdailynews.com
First District Health Unit reports Ward County residents should have plenty of opportunities for people not yet vaccinated for COVID-19 to get immunized in coming days.
“We probably have more vaccine than what we have interest in the vaccine,” FDHU Executive Director Lisa Clute told the Minot City Council Monday.
Ward County statistics show the following: 75 and older population, 72.5% vaccinated; 65- to 75-year-olds, 61.7%; and 18- to 64-year-olds, 25.7%. The 17,374 people vaccinated as of Monday in Ward County do not include military personnel or youth aged 16 or 17.
Clute said First District will continue offering vaccination by appointment, but it may begin offering clinics in the community.
jschramm@minotdailynews.com
Jill Schramm/MDN
Jeff Geinert looks over materials in Minot Public Library Tuesday. Masks are required in city buildings, including the library.
COVID-19 restrictions will be easing in Minot city buildings but not until mid-May.
The Minot City Council voted unanimously Monday to lift mask requirements in city buildings and end specific COVID-19 leave for city employees on May 15. The May date is to give staff time to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.
“Part of the reason I’m willing to support this motion is that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” council member Stephan Podrygula said. “As a political compromise, I’m willing to end the mask policies, but I’m willing to do that under a couple of conditions internally, personally for me. The first is that people continue taking this seriously and then we strongly recommend the staff and visitors that they continue to wear masks for the foreseeable future.”
jschramm@minotdailynews.com
The percentage of vaccinated individuals in Ward County continues to rise, although First District Health Unit reports new vaccine allocations have been difficult to plan for.
Speaking to the Minot City Council Monday, First District Executive Director Lisa Clute said Ward County has 22.6% of its population with at least one vaccination. Residents ages 75 years and older who have received both doses comes to 70.7% of that population. In the 65- to 74-year-old age group, Ward County has 62.6% of the population vaccinated.
Clute explained these numbers do not include residents vaccinated through Air Force and Veterans Administration channels.
“Those are all good numbers that we are seeing,” Clute said. Currently, First District is vaccinating anyone who receives a paycheck for whom the vaccine is approved, which is 16 and older for the Pfizer vaccine and 18 and older for the Moderna vaccine. Once demand in this group begins to wane, First District w