Karen Newman
Clay County Public Health (CCPH) continues to battle the Covid pandemic. In their weekly briefing to the Clay County Commission, Environmental Health Specialist Becky Schmidt, Public Health Director Kathy McKay and Nursing Director Jamie Hennen emphasized the importance the importance of vaccinations in the fight to defeat the virus. “A year ago, we would say the greatest risk factor in being hospitalized for Covid would be underlying health conditions. Now, the greatest risk factor for hospitalization is being unvaccinated,” explained Schmidt.
“We are seeing a younger population; we are seeing some increases there that we had never seen previously,” said McKay. She continued, “We are seeing less with the elderly than we had seen last year but now we are seeing the younger age group.”
CCPH staff provided information about Covid testing and vaccination opportunities available to Clay County citizens.
The next CCPH vaccine clinic, offering first and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines, will be September 15 from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm at the Clay County Family Service Center (FSC), by appointment only. The FSC is located at 715 11th Street N. Suite 105 in Moorhead. The public can make an appointment by registering online at https://claycountymn.gov/462/Public-Health. The vaccination hotline is 218-299-7204. No booster shots are available currently. CCPH continues to visit schools and other government agencies to provide vaccination services.
More information about the following testing sites and links to them is available at https://claycountymn.gov/1596/COVID-19-Testing-Opportunities
The Moorhead test site is available to Minnesota and North Dakota residents on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 6 pm. They are located at the former Thomas Edison Elementary School at 1110 S. 14th Street in Moorhead. Call 1-800-800-5698 for more information.
Minnesota and Vault Medical Services offer at-home COVID-19 saliva testing for Minnesota residents, with or without symptoms, at no cost. For more information see:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/athome.html
Fargo Cass Public Health provides weekly indoor walk-up testing and screening, using the RT PCR testing method as well as BinaxNOW Rapid Screening. These services are available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm at 3051 25th Street South, Fargo, Suite K. No appointment is needed but an online registration form may be accessed at https://claycountymn.gov/1596/COVID-19-Testing-Opportunities