Free community COVID-19 testing event slated for Wednesday, Sept. 23

During Wednesday morning's community partner conference call, updates were given and an upcoming free community COVID-19 testing event was announced.

Vernon County Health Department

“We've had a real active couple weeks,” stated Vernon County Health Department Administrator Steve Durnell. “I think Monday we were at a 140 positive cases, with 15 active. We walked into nine positives this morning, so I think since Monday we're somewhere around 20 (active), give or take a few.” Durnell then went on to explain how Vernon County will be host to a community COVID-19 testing event on Wednesday, Sept. 23. “At the end of last week, the state of Missouri – we had kinda reached their radar on number of positive cases, so they have offered to bring a free community testing event. It will be at the fairgrounds. I talked with Joe (Hardin) with the commission, who graciously allowed them to use the fairgrounds. It will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” noted Durnell. The only requirement for the event is that you are a Missouri resident and there is no cost associated with the testing. “The new testing procedure, they only have to go in about one inch into the nose,” added Durnell. “Their goal is to test about 250 people and they have surge capacity for about 30 percent more than that.” To register for the testing event, visit health.mo.gov/communitytest. “We can give folks a phone number to register) if Internet access is not achievable for some people,” noted Durnell. Nevada City Manager Mark Mitchell asked Durnell whether the state will help the county with contact tracing if there is a surge related to the tests. “I hope so,” stated Durnell. “What they will do, is they will notify everyone that is positive or negative, but that's about it. They will notify them and say the health department will be reaching out to you and then we (Vernon County Health Department) will actually have to do the contacts. Their goal is to let them know they're positive or negative, putting them on the positive cases and make sure they're staying home. That's kind of where their role will end.” Durnell added that the state said if the county health department couldn't handle it, that they can get some of their personnel to step in and help with the contact tracing.

Vernon County Commission

“We continue to work through the CARES Act,” stated Presiding Commissioner Joe Hardin. “As most of you know, a lot of our people on this call were recipients in phase 2. That has been completed. We're starting to get signed contracts back, so we can start issuing some funds from phase 2 as early as next week. Our goal is to, by the end of next week, probably in Friday's paper and on the radio have a press release introducing phase 3. Look for Friday's paper and we'll get it over to KNEM/KNMO as soon as we make that press release. Phase 3 will start very soon – it will be a short time-frame because all of these funds have to be expended and checks written by Dec. 30 or any remaining funds go back to the federal government. It's not like we can just get a grant and approve it and write the checks the next day — it is a lengthy process, so this one will be expediated.” Hardin encouraged organizations/entities who think they may have anything that they are going to want potentially reimbursed, to have their “ducks in row, because when we introduce it... it's going to be quick.”

Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce

“I did my first video and I'm taking my next video next Thursday,” stated Chamber Director Sheree Gayman in reference to previously discussed messaging. “I have reached out to people asking them if they want to do a video – I have not gotten much response, yet. I'm still working on it and hopefully we'll get those videos up and rolling here shortly.”

Cottey College

“We are really thrilled to report that, as of today, we have no active cases among our faculty, staff, or students,” stated Cottey President Jann Weitzel. In regards to the community testing event, Weitzel stated, “We're in the process right now of notifying all of our faculty, staff, and our students in the event that they would like to be tested. We're very appreciative to the state of Missouri for making this possible.”

Missouri Job Center

“We, at the Job Center, we also have CARES Act funding that we need to spend,” stated Missouri Job Center Regional Manager Robin McHugh. “That CARES Act money is for training.” To qualify as a dislocated worker they would need to be either low-income, or if they've received unemployment. “We're doing some drive-thru events every other Friday for the next probably month and a half,” added McHugh. “We're starting this Friday with a drive-thru training – how to get signed up for truck driving school. We'll be promoting that kind of stuff, but I just wanted to let everybody know that we do have a lot of money available to send people through training. If you have anybody that's interested or know of anyone, please send them our way.” More information about upcoming events can be found on the job center's Facebook page.