The North Central District has partnered with community organizations to help distribute home COVID-19 tests in the community. Several partners in each of our counties have received tests and many still have tests to share in their communities. The community partners with tests remaining are:
Henry County -- Henry County Extension Office.
Shelby County -- Mercy Medical, Centro Latino, Clay Street Baptist Church, Awake Ministries, Shelby County Extension Office, Veteran's Village.
Spencer County -- Multi Purpose Community Action Agency, Spencer County Library.
Trimble County -- Trimble County Extension Office.
The North Central District Health Department continues to offer vaccines at clinics in all our counties, and we have plenty of vaccines available. The NCDHD also continues to encourage everyone to be vaccine current – meaning having received 2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine or 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson and a following booster once eligible.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has relaxed mask recommendations for those living in areas of low or moderate risk based on a new formula that takes into account hospitalizations, hospital capacity and case numbers.
The new CDC formula ranks counties by Low, Medium and High, and the Kentucky Department of Public Health will follow these guidelines, only recommending masking in high-ranking areas. The information can be found on the CDC website, and it has been added to Kentucky’s Kycovid19.ky.gov, taking the place of the incidence rate map. Kentucky will measure counties in a traffic-light system with Green-Low, Yellow-Medium and Red-High.
Under the new CDC metric for community levels, last calculated on Feb. 24, only Trimble County falls into the Medium level, while Henry, Shelby and Spencer all continue to rate as High.
Kentucky Department of Public Health Director Dr. Steven Stack noted this same system will be applied to schools, and prevention strategies will increase or decrease based on the number of cases in schools. Schools are also adjusting their bus policies based on the new guidelines.
While these guidelines account for removing mask recommendations and more around much of the country, nearly all of Kentucky – along with surrounding states of West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee – currently remains in the high level.
In accordance with CDC and Kentucky Department of Public Health recommendations, the North Central District Health Department, covering Henry, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties, is providing COVID-19 Pfizer booster shots for ages 12-and-up. You are eligible for a booster shot 5 months after your second dose. Be sure to bring your vaccination card when you get your booster. If you can’t find it or if you can’t remember the date of the second shot, contact your local health department for help. For more information or to make an appointment, contact your local health department.
Flu vaccine is now available in the clinic. The cost is $40 for traditional vaccine and $65 for high dose. We will file insurance if available. Cost may be adjusted based on sliding scale. Call your local health department for an appointment.
North Central District will be refocusing our efforts towards routine services the health department provides starting in January 2022; we will continue to provide Covid-19 vaccinations and booster appointments. The health department provides many services to assist the communities we serve, including WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), Immunizations, Environmental services, HANDS (Health Access Nurturing Development Services), and many others. Contact our local health department to schedule appointments starting in January and visit our social media and website for more information.
