Mar 7 22 City council update
TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist
SUBJECT: COVID-19 City Council update
DATE: March 7, 2022
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management (IMT) team consisting of City
of Dubuque Health Services Department (Mary Rose Corrigan) Dubuque County Health
Department, (Interim Director, Samantha Kloft) VNA (Stacey Killian) and the Dubuque
County Emergency Management Agency (Tom Berger), along with both hospitals
continue in full activation. The IMT also consists of City of Dubuque Health Services
Department Environmental Sanitarians Tim Link and Sydney Moquin. We are
coordinating our response efforts in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public
Health (IDPH), and with guidance from CDC via weekly webinars and direct contact with
our regional IDPH epidemiologist. Randy Gehl serves as the Public Information (PIO)
officer for the IMT.
CURRENT INFORMATION
Iowa redesigned the state Coronavirus dashboard based on the expiration of the
Governor’s Public Health Emergency Proclamation on Feb 15, 2022. Current case
counts and other related COVID -19 data can be found at
https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Reporting
Data Via CDC:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
Vaccination scheduling and access information can be found at
https://www.cityofdubuque.org/2965/COVID-19-Vaccinations and
and at https://vaccinefinder.org/
County Vaccination data:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view
Dubuque VNA
Health Services Department
City Hall Annex
1300 Main Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Office (563) 589-4181
Fax (563) 589-4299
TTY (563) 589-4193
health@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
VNA continues to operate the public call center for Dubuque County 7 days/week for
general COVID questions. To date VNA has fielded over 48,373 calls/contacts from the
community and administered 11,250 vaccines. VNA distributes home TestIowa COVID
test kits to anyone needing a test, free of charge.
VNA offers vaccinations through community events as applicable. VNA will continue to
direct individuals to Friday walk- in clinics at the VNA office to be responsible with
inventory, however any individuals seeking a vaccine at VNA on any day will not be
turned away. VNA offers COVID vaccine to all age eligible children participating in VNA
Vaccines For Children (VFC) immunization clinics.
The COVID-19 hotline staffed by VNA seven days a week has resulted in 102 calls
from the community regarding isolation and quarantine.
Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
The EMA distributes N95 masks, procedure masks, masks for the public and rapid tests
based on requests, while supplies last. As of mid-February, with the expiration of the
State Emergency Proclamation, the nodes are being decommissioned and supplies will
be distributed to the counties in our region. We will have a small supply on hand for
distribution from the training center. This does not include the 30-day emergency
supply we have in warehouse for another event.
Without a State Disaster proclamation in effect, any new requests for assistance from
local EMAs on behalf of their communities cannot be acted upon by the state, except for
that assistance that can be provided under an agency's “normal” authorities.
In partnership with Hartig Drug, we are awaiting a shipment of N95 masks which will be
distributed throughout the community based on need and requests.
Hospital Capacity Planning
With COVID-19 hospitalizations significantly decreasing in the past month, the IMT is
now meeting bi-weekly with hospitals to assess local capacity. Local hospital data can
be accessed via the Health and Human Services Public Health Protect Website:
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization
The IMT will continue to monitor hospital capacity and capability and communicate
with MercyOne and UnityPoint Finley Hospitals as needed.
Public Information
The City Public Information Office (PIO), in conjunction with the Incident Management
Team (IMT), revised the weekly COVID-19 updates to align with current data and
metrics available through the IDPH and CDC. The PIO office continues with frequent
social media posts, responds to news media requests for interviews and information,
and assist with general messaging/communication needs. The PIO continues to track
multiple metrics for the IMT and update the COVID-19 webpage on the City
website. Videos featuring Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan are produced
when needed and distributed through all available channels. In addition to continued
marketing of vaccinations, PIO staff are promoting booster doses and the public clinics
planned for the POD and other locations.
COVID- 19 Vaccination
The IMT continues to manage the IDPH vaccine allocations and distribution.
As of February 28, 2022, 34,045 booster doses have been administered in Dubuque
County and 63.8% of the total county populations are fully vaccinated.
To facilitate access to vaccination appointments, the Dubuque County Sleeves Up
phone line at (563) 587-4950 continues, staffed by the City Manager’s Office. Call
takers facilitate vaccine clinic locations, appointment making and internet navigation
though inbound and outbound calls to connect people to vaccines.
In addition to multiple vaccine providers in Dubuque County, Ongoing walk-in VNA
clinics at 660 Iowa St are available on the following:
Mondays 3-6 pm-WALK INS: 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, 4/25
Fridays 8-430pm-WALK INS: 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/22, 4/29
Testing
Local providers offering COVID-19 now have adequate test supplies and availability.
Testing providers report less demand for COVID-19 testing over the past two weeks.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and State Hygienic Lab (SHL) continue to
provide at-home test kits free of charge to Iowa residents through a mail order system
or via pick-up locations at healthcare and public health sites in communities.
Information about where to obtain these free in- home test kits can be found at:
https://www.testiowa.com/en
Federal test via mail: https://www.covidtests.gov/
Dubuque County in home testIowa pick-up sites include:
https://www.cityofdubuque.org/2940/Local-COVID-19-Testing-Options
Testing options are updated regularly and posted at
https://www.cityofdubuque.org/2940/Local-COVID-19-Testing-Options
The Variants
SARs COV2 variant Omicron emerged November 23, 2021 and continues as the
dominant strain in Iowa and Dubuque County. The State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL)
continues to sequence approximately 300 positive samples per week for variants.
Omicron accounted for 100% of the positive COVID tests in Dubuque County during
February that were sequenced for variants by the SHL.
Looking ahead
• Continue new community information strategies in lieu of traditional contact
tracing
• Implement operational changes to the IMT COVID-19 response based on the
expiration of the State Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation and
community needs.
• Provide ongoing education and access for COVID -19 testing, vaccination and
other guidance to all populations, with the assistance of the Equity Immersion
Committee and many community partners.
• Continue community vaccine education and administration as eligibility and
availability changes, utilizing multi-media and community outreach, with a focus
on school age, immunocompromised and achieving “up to date” status for the
general population
• Implementing and distributing ever changing guidance from CDC, IDPH.
• Monitor and provide community education on SARS CoV2 variants.
• Provide COVID-19 guidance for special events and activities
• Continue assurance of COVID 19 testing access and in-home kit distribution as
supplies and testing providers are available
• Monitor county transmission rates and community level status to provide up to
date information on masking and other mitigation strategies.
• Currently approximately 60-70% of my time is devoted to COVID-19