Samuel Leach Addresses Calaveras Supervisors
San Andreas, CA – Beginning next Monday, Calaveras County plans to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents 75 or older.
The announcement was made at the board of supervisors meeting this morning during a presentation from Samuel Leach, director of interim Health and Human Services, and Doug Archer, president and CEO of Mark Twain Medical Center.
Leach reported so far that 580 vaccines have been distributed in the county. The first groups included frontline health workers, firefighters, emergency services and assisted living centers.
As of Monday, CEO Archer noted that vaccine clinics will be set up at Mark Twain Medical Center in San Andreas for those in Tier 1B, including anyone 75 or older. More specific details will be announced later this week regarding appointment scheduling and location. The plan is to administer 100 vaccines on the first day and then ramp it up daily to about 200-250. They are free. The clinics will run four days a week, depending on the availability of the vaccine. Screening will take place to ensure that those receiving the vaccine are residents of Calaveras. Those who receive it will have a follow-up appointment scheduled for the second dose in about four weeks.
Leach said the upcoming phase is a “tough lift” and praised the Mark Twain Medical Center’s role as a community partner. He also added that he is in talks with Calaveras Superintendent of Schools Scott Nanik to offer the vaccine to teachers and staff working in the various school districts next week.
While news of vaccine distribution was positive, Leach acknowledged that rescuers had been stressed in recent weeks due to a spike in local cases.
When asked about the increase and related challenges of contact tracking, Leach replied, “This is real and a real increase. I need people to take this seriously. “
He added, “You really have to keep going through the depths of the wave now, as if everyone you come into contact with has Covid. This is not March or April when we still asked people if you know someone who has had it. Pretty much everyone who listens to this knows someone who has had it, be it now. And if you’re in my position, you know a lot of people who are actively running Covid right now. “
He stressed the importance of wearing a mask, avoiding gatherings and washing hands. He hopes the community will be in a better place in the spring.
In other cases, the supervisors today unanimously elected Ben Stopper as chairman for 2021 and new supervisor Amanda Folendorf will become the vice-chairman. Stopper was vice-chairman last year.