37 residents get COVID tests in drive-thru National Guard event Monday in Gainesville
National Guard soldier Marco Walden performs a covid test on Gainesville resident Dottie Dowrick at the drive-thru clinic Monday. Organizers said 32 residents pre-registered for the free testing event, but the National Guard opened registration up to any Missouri resident who wished to be tested, and a total of 37 tests were administered.
Thirty-seven tests were administered by Missouri National Guard members at a free drive-thru covid-testing event at the Gainesville Saddle Club in Gainesville Monday. Guardsman Sgt. Zachary Weeks told the Times that 27 National Guard soldiers worked at the Gainesville event. He said test results could be expected three to five days after the test was administered.
“It’s been pretty slow today,” Weeks said mid-day Monday. “In other small communities we’ve been to, we’ve administered around 70 tests, at the most.”
One other free drive-thru testing was held in Ozark County on June 26 at Missouri Ozarks Community Health in Gainesville. Ninety-six residents participated in that event, which was a cooperative effort between the clinic and the Ozark County Health Department
“We didn’t really know what to expect in terms of numbers. I think it’s great so many people came out for it,” Ozark County Health Department Administrator Rhonda Suter said Tuesday. “We really appreciate everything the National Guard has done.”
Vaccine approved, but it’s unclear when Ozark County will get it
Although Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Monday that the first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccines have arrived in Missouri, Suter said she does not yet know when the vaccine will be available here or how it will be distributed.
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine Friday, Dec. 11, confirming its safety and effectiveness.
“Today is an exciting day for Missouri as we have received the first of many shipments of the covid-19 vaccine. We have been preparing for many months and will soon begin administering vaccines according to our covid-19 vaccine plan,” Parson said in a statement. “We appreciate the tireless work of our scientists, health care workers, state and private partners, and everyone who has helped get us to this point. It is truly remarkable how far we've come since the start of this pandemic, and we are very encouraged to now have a verifiably safe and effective vaccine.”
Both preparation and distribution of the covid-19 vaccine continue to run according to Missouri's covid-19 vaccine plan, which was submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in October, he said.
Shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine will continue throughout this week to each of Missouri's 21 initial vaccination sites. These sites include hospitals and health care facilities across the state. As each vaccination site receives its shipment of vaccines, implementation of Phase 1 of Missouri's covid-19 vaccine plan will begin.
Parson reminds Missourians that although a covid-19 vaccine is now approved for use, it is important to continue practicing preventative measures, including social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and avoiding large gatherings. These behaviors are especially important during the holiday season, medical professionals say.
“We are optimistic that this vaccine and future vaccines will provide much needed relief from covid-19. However, until vaccines are widely available to the public, prevention remains our best weapon against the virus,” Parson continued. “We must stay diligent in our efforts and continue to practice covid-19 preventive measures.”
For more information regarding the covid-19 vaccine and answers to common questions, visit MOStopsCOVID.com.