COVID remains a presence in county updates Beason

Montgomery County Public Health is continuing to monitor COVID-19 cases in the county, and is noticing a bit of an uptick in cases.
Montgomery County Public Health coordinator Samantha Beeson met with the supervisors at the regular meeting Aug. 16. Beeson gave an update on the current COVID-19 totals, and advised a total of 2,375 tests have been given in the county.
"For our 14 day total, we've had 41 cases, in the last seven days we've had 17 cases, and in the last three days we've had three cases. Our total vaccine administration is at 55.5%," Beeson explained.
Based on the numbers, Beeson said it showed that COVID-19 was still prevalent in the county, and the recommendations were still the same as they were in the beginning.
"If you're sick, stay home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated the quarantine guidance a little bit. If you're exposed, there's no quarantine requirement. You're just supposed to wear a mask for the 10 days of your incubation period," advised Beeson. "When it comes to isolation, it's five days at home, five days wearing a mask. They are no longer recommending testing asymptomatic people. We haven't seen anything from the state yet, those are guidelines from the CDC," Beeson said.
The Montgomery County Public Health Office still had COVID test kits available for those needing to be tested. Also, Beeson said anyone looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine, or a booster, can still do so from a variety of locations in the community.
"Vaccines are available at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Physicians Clinic, or Internal Hy-Vee, and Medicap Pharmacy. We're also available to provide them to anyone who can't get to the clinic or if they're homebound. We will collect the vaccine and administer it to the homebound resident," stated Beeson.
Beeson also advised the county had yet to see any confirmed cases of Monkeypox.
"So far, Pottawattamie County is the closest it has gotten to us. It's spread through close contact with an infected person, or by sharing clothes. It's not transmitted like COVID, so you're not as likely to get Monkeypox as you are to get COVID."
Besson said her office is also working with the area schools to prepare kids for the upcoming school year and vaccination requirements.
"We're working to make sure all of the incoming kindergartners, seventh, and 12th graders all have the required immunizations before the start of school. It's a state law that if they don't have them, they're not supposed to attend school."
Beeson also advised the supervisors her employees are working to keep providing the same quality of coverage from the General Assistance office that visitors received from former administrator Sonia Jackson, who recently retired from the post.
"We're still learning the ins and outs of everything, like the payee information, and general information. We'd also like to sit down at some point and review what the expectations are," Beeson said.