COVID-19 Testing At DECC To Run Through January, But Future Is Uncertain
December 31, 2020
Testing sites in the state are set up by the Minnesota Department of Health.
In the latest economic relief package that was just signed into law, the federal government will not be sending more funding to states, which could mean that the money needed to keep free COVID-19 testing going in Minnesota may run out soon.
The federal relief package did include another $20 billion for testing efforts, but of course, that will have to be divided up among all 50 states.
“The DECC really is a nice option for most people, because you know, the test is less invasive than the nasal swabs, it’s fairly accessible to most people, and it’s free, so this type of testing is really important for our community,” Rillis Eklund, an RN and PHN with St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services, said.
It s light at the end of the tunnel. The St. Louis County Public Health department has begun administering the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals. The county received their first shipment of the Moderna vaccine on December 23 and since that time they have vaccinated approximately 150 people over the course of vaccination clinics held over two days. St. Louis County Public Health held a clinic in Virginia on December 24, with additional site-vaccinations occurring on December 28 in Hermantown, Virginia, and Ely. An additional clinic is scheduled for Hibbing on January 4. Additional site-locations will be offered as arrangements can be made.
To determine who gets the vaccine, St. Louis County Public Health is following the priority target groups identified by federal and state public health system; the vaccines are offered first to paramedics, advanced emergency medical technicians, emergency medical technicians and emergency medical responders. In total, the county estimates that appro