Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
Providers across Summit County received just over 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to administer this week, Public Health Director Amy Wineland said at a Board of Health meeting Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The allocation is “bleak and disappointing,” Wineland said. Summit County Public Health itself asked for 2,000 doses this week and received only 100.
Initially, the county was expecting to receive even fewer vaccines. Wineland said officials were informed Thursday, Feb. 11, that the county would receive no doses.
However, the county’s board of commissioners advocated for public health to receive doses.
“We were told then that we would get 100 doses, which pales in comparison to what we were hoping to get this week,” Wineland said.
53 appointments will open for people ages 65 and older at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Author: Libby Stanford (Summit Daily) Published: 6:28 PM MST February 16, 2021 Updated: 6:28 PM MST February 16, 2021
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. Providers across Summit County received just over 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to administer this week, Public Health Director Amy Wineland said at a Board of Health meeting Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The allocation is “bleak and disappointing,” Wineland said. Summit County Public Health itself asked for 2,000 doses this week and received only 100.
Initially, the county was expecting to receive even fewer vaccines. Wineland said officials were informed Thursday, Feb. 11, that the county would receive no doses.
On Saturday, Feb. 13, around 200 educators and child care workers received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru event at the county’s bus barn in Frisco.
It marked the first time that workers, other than those in health care and first responders, were vaccinated in the county. Of the 200, 132 doses were available for Summit School District employees, including teachers, coaches, custodians, bus drivers and more.
“When we started this wild ride of the pandemic, we were talking about different entrances, hand sanitizer, masks and I just couldn’t wait until the part where we were talking about vaccines,” said Drew Adkins, the district’s chief operating officer, at a school board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11. “So, hip hip hooray, we are there.”
Photo from Vail Health
Construction is continuing according to plan at Vail Health’s new Dillon Health Center located on the corner of U.S. Highway 6 and Dillon Dam Road.
When the health system broke ground on the 85,000-square-foot building, the goal was to have construction completed in fall 2021 while meeting a $70 million budget. So far, Vail Health and its developing partner have been able to stick to that plan.
“We still got nine or 10 months to go and if it’s nine versus if it’s 10, that’s a different dollar amount,” said Craig Cohn, Vail Health’s chief real estate and development officer. “Within a reasonable range, we still feel like we’re tracking relatively close to schedule and on budget for the project.”
Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
After many were left frustrated and confused when just 60 available vaccine appointments rapidly filled Tuesday, Feb. 9, Summit County commissioners are pushing for more transparency in the vaccine distribution process.
At a Summit County Board of Health meeting Thursday, Feb. 11, commissioners asked public health officials to provide more clarity and details when it comes to distribution. It took just eight minutes for appointments to fill Tuesday, causing many questions and concerns about vaccine availability from the public.
“I know we’re saying ’appointments are limited,’ but limited could be all sorts of definitions,” Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence said. “I mean, 60? That’s such a small, low number. And I’m not blaming us, that’s just what we got allocated, but I think we need to be as transparent as possible ahead of time.”