HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Hill County Health Board met virtually on Friday afternoon to provide their weekly COVID-19 update.
The COVID-19 case rate for Hill County has continued to drop over the past few weeks, and Health Officer Kim Larson urged continued vigilance over the holiday season.
“Limit gatherings as much as possible, keep your circle small. Social distance when you can, wear a face covering if you can’t social distance and when you’re out in public…I would just say, do what we did over Thanksgiving, we fared really well through all of that. People just need to remember to do their part and help us continue to slow the spread.”
No COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Hill County. Larson says the County is likely to receive a shipment of the Moderna vaccine in the near future after it receives emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which could come as soon as this afternoon.
“I have a call scheduled with the state health department at 3 PM on Monday to hopefully get that information…It’s kind of a week-by-week, day by day thing as we learn more about the vaccinations and whether they get emergency use authorization by the FDA or not…So I should have more information after that meeting on Monday.”
The first vaccines in Hill County will go to healthcare workers and staff and residents of assisted living and long-term care facilities. CVS Pharmacy will be administering the vaccines for the assisted living and long-term care facilities.
The Moderna vaccine comes in smaller shipments and doesn’t require storage in extremely cold temperatures, making it more feasible for use in rural communities.
There will be no virtual meetings over the next two Fridays due to the holidays. This means the next COVID-19 special board meeting will take place at 1 PM on Friday, January 8th.
