According to NACO (National Association of Counties) The two counties are going to get almost $50 million between the two of them from the latest Covid recovery bill. That’s a hefty chunk of change.
Besides helping alleviate medical costs for the uninsured, I highly suggest starting in April they setup a drive thru massive Covid vaccination site where individuals and families can drive thru to get shots simply by hanging their arms out the window of their cars.
Other states and cities are doing this or at least prepping for it as a fast and efficient way to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
Sometimes good ideas are just that simple.
They are also recruiting volunteers from any sector (besides nurses, doctors and pharmacists) that are qualified to give shots like animal vets.
The health systems, the community health clinic, and pharmacies could join forces and set up such a site(s).
Sadly, I suspect they will blow it on something else, you know like the state did with the first round of relief money giving it to hotels, developers, restaurants and go kart tracks.
I hope the counties get their poop in a group and spend the money wisely, but like most places run by right winger nutzos greed and selfishness will probably win the day.
Good news that counties instead of the city are getting the funding. There’s some irregularity but not like the corrupt city of Sioux Falls. At least 80% should reach the public for vaccinations. There are stubborn people who say they’ll not get it. However, a majority will. When there’s a majority, it will be marginal pandemic transmission. The stubborn ones will die and there’ll be nobody to vote for Noem or Trump.
“My favorite boondoggle was when Janklow tried to pay for a new steel roof for the Dakota Dome with money from the national tobacco settlement”…. “Or, maybe they will reject it like when they tried to reject FEMA money after the ice storm of 2013″…. “‘Yep, we don’t need your money'”…. “‘We do just fine balancing our budgets ourselves with the other money you often give us'”…. #FiscalConservativesMyAss
while I agree with your thoughts on a mass covid vaccine site. where are you going to get the shots from? just because you build it doesn’t mean you have anything to give out. I thought someone up stream outside of SD was controlling the number of doses being shipped to SD for distribution.
I get where you are coming from. Distribution is key and hopefully by May 1st they will have that worked out. My frustration is that people have to run all over town to get the vaccination (this is already happening and will likely gear-up even more after May 1st.) I don’t take issue with the hospitals or local pharmacies getting a piece of the pie, I just think they should centralize it better in 2 or 3 public drive-thru sites. Also, since Federal taxpayers already paid for the shots, ANYBODY, insured or not should be able to get a shot with just an ID card.
Hospitals and clinics are calling people who are eligible. Hy-Vee is planning on walk in availability soon.
Just what the hell does the county governments need to do with this.