Due to a high transmission rate in, and around, Brown County, the Indiana State Department of Health deployed a mass testing and vaccination site at the Brown County Music Center last week.
Because of the high transmission rate Brown County Emergency Health Preparedness Coordinator Corey Frost said more testing may need to be made available during nontraditional hours, such as after 4 p.m., and on the weekends.
The state department of health brought a strike force to the music center on Friday, Sept. 3, and on Saturday, Sept. 4.
The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines were both available. Rapid tests were also done.
“This mission should help provide us with a little more of that data and help drive some decision making down the road,” Frost said.
The state department of health has kept Brown County in the “red” status because of COVID spread, which is the the highest level. Currently there are no mask or gathering restrictions in the county.
Between Wednesday, Aug. 25 and Wednesday, Sept. 1 the county picked up 52 new COVID cases.
Brown County COVID stats as of Sept. 1 (counted since March 2020) and changes since Wednesday Aug. 25 (in parentheses) are: 1,232 cases (up 52), 5,036 residents tested (up 96), 45 deaths (up one) and 7,756 residents at least partially vaccinated (up 84).
As of last week, the county’s vaccination percentage was 51.5 percent.
COVID cases and county-by-county stats are posted daily at coronavirus.in.gov.
Per an executive order signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb, Brown County Schools staff and students will also no longer be required to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact if the person who tested positive and all close contacts were wearing a mask.
Anyone identified as a close contact must self-monitor symptoms closely through the 14-day period following exposure, according to Superintendent Emily Tracy.
Read more in the Sept. 15 Brown County Democrat and online at bcdemocrat.com about changes to the district’s COVID-19 educational policy that the Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved on Sept. 2.
