COVID-19 Public Service Announcement

 

1.The Covid-19 Task Force will hand off primary responsibility to EMHC to continue providing timely and consistant Public Information Services to the general public and tribal employees on all Covid-19 Situational Awareness. This includes, but is not limited to, Vaccination Clinic Registration Assistance, Clinic Schedule Announcements, Questions on Isolation/Quarantine/Signs and Symptoms, Current Statistics, and all other Educational Awareness. This was agreed to by EMHC’s Covid-19 Task Force Members several weeks ago during discussions amongst Task Force leadership to begin our Recovery Transition Phase. We have had several Covid-19 Task Force Members serve as volunteers in the assigned Public Information Officer Role. They have done a wonderful job and have set a high standard for timely and verified situational awareness information for the public.

 

We look forward to our Medical and Health Professionals from EMHC taking the lead in providing public health awareness services to our community members in regards to Covid-19. 

 

2. The Vaccine Call Center (VCC) has for over a sustained period of time been recieving an average of 8-12 calls a day, and more frequently over the past month, more days where no calls are recieved. After careful consideration, and according to our ICS Protocols on effective use of our resources (employees), the VCC’s last day of operations will be today June 11, 2021 at 5:00 pm CST. Procedures are in place so that should conditions change and Call Center services become neccessary again, it will be reactivated within 8 hours of notice.The members staffing the VCC will be utilized in our ICC or DAC moving forward. 

 

The VCC was created in February 2021 as part of a proactive effort by the Covid-19 Task Force to ensure full vaccination clinic registration assistance was offered during the beginning of our tribe’s initial vaccination phase when demand was incredibly high and high priority population groups were a focus. The VCC was built and staffed to take the brunt of the workload of this responsibility off of EMHC during the first several months of Phase I and Phase II. That goal has since been accomplished and has been since the beginning of May 2021. Our consistant efforts to mass distribute Vaccine Clinic Registration Weblinks Information has been successful along with the saturation of the majority of our population recieving both doses of the vaccine. The ease to register for clinics is now there for all of remaining residents who have not been vaccinated and the low call volume remains more than manageable enough to return this responsibility back to EMHC.

 

3. The MHA Nation Vaccination Plan will move to Phase III. (High Availability and Low Demand of Vaccines)

 

The Covid-19 Task Force will now begin to focus primarilly on the Recovery Phase of MHA Nation’s Pandemic Incident Response. This means that we will still continue to have available our following services for the Public and can be reached at 701-627-7300 Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm CST-Isolation Care Center (ICC): A Safe, Secure and Private Facility with 18 rooms/suites where a Individual and/or Families can shelter temporarily if they recieve Covid-19 Positive Test results and wish to isolate away from their other family members. Daily Wellness Checks, Daily Hot Meals, Delivery of Fresh Produce, Fully Furnished Rooms, Clothing, Loaned Items such Phones and Laptops or Tablets, including exercise equipment are and will be provided at no cost. This is maintained and kept available 24/7. 

 

Distribution Aid Center (DAC): Service to recieve order requests from Individuals and Families in Quarantine and/or Isolation for Groceries and Other Household Goods at no cost. Delivery is also provided across FBIR and outside of FBIR within a 2 hour radius of exterior boundaries. Other services also provided by DAC are PPE supplies to Tribal Departments/Programs, area Schools, area businesses, Emergency Services, etc. This is maintained and kept available 7 days a week. Monday-Friday 8:00 am-6:00 pm with staff on call Saturday and Sundays.

 

BinaxNow Covid-19 Rapid Testing: The members of the Covid-19 Task Force will continue to expand on rapid testing services throughout FBIR. 

 

Other Misc. Mass Care Services:  Occasional Free PPE, Fresh Produce, Non-Perishables, Medicine/Vitamins etc. Distribution Events. 

 

Again, any questions or need for assistance moving forward on Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic Registrations, Clinic Schedules, Inquiries on Covid-19 Statistics in our area, and other Educational Awareness Information will be provided by Elbowoods Memorial Health Center. Please refer to their Hotline Phone #, Website, Social Media Pages. 

 

Support for all of the hard work, and consistant dilligent efforts of the Covid-19 Task Force over the last year and a half is sincerely appreciated by all members, past and present. We will continue to serve our community members for the duration of our continued pandemic response with empathy and integrity.