We have seen an increase in illnesses in Sioux County, including influenza, COVID-19, and several other viruses. Specifically, we have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 in the last two weeks. Please do what you can to keep yourself healthy and to prevent the spread of illness:

• Give your body exercise, rest, and healthy foods
• Do not go to work or school when you are sick
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Consider wearing a mask when around many people in an indoor space
• Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can build up in your home. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who do not smoke. You can’t see radon. Or smell it. Or taste it. You can’t tell if there is radon in your home unless you test for it. Homes should be tested for radon every 3-4 years. High levels of radon can be found in any type of home.

Iowa has the highest average radon concentration of any state in the U.S., with 7 of 10 homes having a radon concentration above 4pCi/L, which is considered too high. Residents of Sioux County should be keenly aware of radon and the dangers it poses since average Sioux County levels are much higher even than the State of Iowa:

• United States average: 1.3 pCi/L
• Iowa average: 8.5 pCi/L
• Sioux County average: 11.1 pCI/L

Testing your home for radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits are available through Community Health Partners and at city offices throughout Sioux County. Radon test kits are available through Community Health Partners for $10 and at city offices throughout Sioux County or can be ordered through our website https://siouxcountychp.org/radon-kit-order/. Directions are included in the kit. It is important to test your home during winter months when doors and windows have been kept closed. If test results show elevated radon levels, you should talk to a certified radon mitigation specialist. They will work with you to reduce the level of radon in your home.

For more information about radon, see http://www.lung.org/radon, call the American Lung Association of Iowa at 515.309.9507, or email [email protected]. For more information about radon test kits, contact Community Health Partners of Sioux County (712) 737-2971 or [email protected]

Community Health Partners of Sioux County
Phone – 712.737.2971 or 1.800.435.3454
Email – [email protected]
Website – www.siouxcountychp.org

Sioux County, like most of the rest of the country, is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

There are a number of things you can do to help reduce the spread and severity of illness in our community. Community Health Partners, Hawarden Regional Health, Hegg Health Center, Orange City Area Health System, Sioux Center Health, and Promise Community Health Center urge you to:

1. Get Vaccinated. The single most important tool we have is the vaccine, which is highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death. If you have questions about the vaccine, please call and ask your medical provider. Vaccine is widely available in Sioux County and is offered at no cost to you.
2. Get Tested. If you or a loved one are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, get tested as soon as possible. Symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Testing is widely available and free testing is available.
3. Seek Treatment. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, you may be able to reduce the severity of your symptoms and prevent bad outcomes by seeking treatment before your symptoms become severe. Talk to your health care provider about treatment options.
4. Don’t spread it. If you have COVID-19 like symptoms and are waiting for test results, please stay home and away from others until you have results. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, please follow guidelines for staying home to prevent others from becoming ill.

For vaccination, testing, and other information about COVID-19 in Sioux County visit www.siouxcovid.org or call Community Health Partners (712) 737-2971 or call your local medical provider.

With the rise in number of new COVID-19 cases across the country, and with the ease with which the Delta variant spreads, Sioux County health care providers ask that all those eligible (anyone 12 and older) seriously consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and others from serious illness.

The percentage of fully vaccinated individuals living in Sioux County is currently only 33.6%. This leaves many in our county unvaccinated, including the 25% of people age 65 and older who are at highest risk of hospitalization and death related to COVID-19.

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.  Vaccines:

• are highly effective in reducing serious illness, hospitalization, and death in those who are fully vaccinated.
• decrease the opportunity for more variants to develop. When more people are vaccinated, the virus has fewer opportunities to spread and fewer chances to mutate.
• prepare your body to fight the virus to help protect you from serious illness.
• are safe. Scientists have been working on this vaccine technology for 30 years. The vaccines were approved quickly—not because corners in safety or testing were cut. It was only the red tape that typically slows the development process that was cut.
• are readily available and provided at no charge to anyone regardless of their health insurance status. Vaccine is available at all health care providers in the county: Hawarden Regional Health, Hegg Health Center, Orange City Area Health System, Sioux Center Health, and Promise Community Health Center. Vaccine is also available at Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, and Lewis Drug pharmacies (see siouxcovid.org for details on which vaccines are available at which locations).

Many have questions and concerns about COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination is a personal choice worth considering— for your own health and for the people you care about. Please reach out to your trusted health care provider or your local public health agency (Community Health Partners) with your questions.  Medical personnel are available and willing to answer questions that will help you make an informed decision.

If you have questions about COVID-19 or vaccinations, contact Community Health Partners at (712) 737-2971, or your health care provider.

With the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) this morning, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has advised that all Iowa vaccine providers pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until more details are confirmed.

The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.

All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System here.

Read the statement issued by the CDC here.

Read the IDPH release here.

CDC and FDA will provide additional information and answer questions later today at a media briefing. A recording of that media call will be available on the FDA’s YouTube channel.

IDPH will provide further updates when more information is available.

It’s your turn!

If you have been waiting to sign-up to get your vaccine, wait no longer.  Everyone age 18 and older is now eligible for vaccination at all locations in Sioux County.  Hy-Vee Pharmacy can vaccinate anyone 16 and older because they have Pfizer vaccine.

Sioux County Covid-19 vaccine supplies are increasing and wait times are shorter.

Sarah Van Wyk, Community Health Partners’ COVID Vaccine Coordinator says, “We are excited that our COVID-19  vaccine supply is almost to the point of meeting the demand. If you have been waiting for your turn to sign up, please sign up now. Wait times are minimal, and we expect vaccine to be more available over the next 2 weeks.  Anyone who lives, works, or receives their health care in Sioux County can receive a vaccine from their health care provider or the Hy-Vee Pharmacy.”

Locations and instructions on how to sign-up are listed on siouxcovid.org.

If you need helping signing up or need help getting to your appointment, please call Community Health Partners (712) 737-2971 or your local health care provider.

In Sioux County, the Local Public Health Agency, Community Health Partners, continues to work collaboratively with the four Area Health Systems, Promise Community Health Center and Sioux County Emergency Management to distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccine.

On Wednesday, March 31, Community Health Partners received notice that Sioux County will be one of the first counties in Iowa to receive an allocation of Johnson and Johnson vaccine for colleges and universities.  Sioux County will be allocated 1200 doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccine to be administered to staff and students at Dordt University, Northwestern College and Northwest Iowa Community College.

The Sioux County Emergency Preparedness Coalition met on March, March 31 to develop plans for the three campuses. Orange City Area Health System plans to administer the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to staff and students at Northwest Iowa Community College and Northwestern College the week of April 5.  Sioux Center Health will administer the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to staff and students at Dordt University the same week.

“This is an exciting time for Sioux County as Dordt, Northwestern and NCC approach graduation and their students will return to their home communities.  All of our higher education institutions have worked diligently to keep their staff and students safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The vaccine provides one more opportunity to protect those staff and students,” says Kim Westerholm, Director of Community Health Services.

As of April 5 all adults in Iowa will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

You can sign up for the vaccine at your local health system or at Hy-Vee using the links listed on http://www.siouxcovid.org/.

If you need help signing up please call your local health system or Community Health Partners.

All adults in Sioux County can now sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination. Beginning April 5, as doses become available, all adults in Iowa will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
You can sign up for the vaccine at your local health system or at Hy-Vee using the links listed on www.siouxcovid.org.

If you need help signing up please call your local health system or Community Health Partners.
For questions or additional information, contact:

Community Health Partners of Sioux County
Phone – 712.737.2971 or 1.800.435.3454
Email – [email protected]
Website – www.siouxcountychp.org

Effective March 8, the Iowa Department of Public Health and Sioux County have expanded COVID-19 vaccine priority groups to include individuals 64 years of age and younger with medical conditions that are or may be at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.  For a full list of medical conditions visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html.

Others eligible to receive the vaccine at this time include:

• Individuals age 65 and older
• PK-12 staff & teachers and childcare workers
• First responders

If you are in any of the above listed priority groups you can sign up for the vaccine at your local health system or at Hy-Vee using the links listed on siouxcovid.org.

If you need help signing up please call your local health system or Community Health Partners.

Because vaccine production has not fully met the demand for vaccine, Iowans will need to remain patient until supply increases.

It’s critical to continue practicing the mitigation measures that can slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Vaccinated Iowans should continue these precautions as we are still learning whether getting a vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself.

• Wear a mask or face covering
• Practice social distancing with those outside your household
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
• Stay home if you feel sick
• Get tested if you are exposed to, or have symptoms of COVID-19
• Get a COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible

Continue to check siouxcovid.org for vaccine updates and for additional vaccine eligibility information.

In Sioux County, the Local Public Health Agency, Community Health Partners, is working collaboratively with the four Area Health Systems and Promise Community Health Center to distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccine.

On Thursday, February 25, Community Health Partners received notice that Sioux County was selected as 1 of the 17 counties eligible to receive an allocation of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for use in phase 1b, tier 2 populations which include workers in food, agriculture, distribution, and manufacturing sectors who live or work in settings that made social distancing difficult.

The Sioux County Emergency Preparedness Coalition held an emergency meeting on Friday, February 26 to align efforts to administer the 900 doses of vaccine to eligible employees, in addition to the efforts underway targeting individuals 65 and older, by the end of the week of March 5, as directed by IDPH.

Community Health Partners and health system employees worked with major employers and have plans in place to hold vaccination clinics this week with most clinics taking place March 3 – 5.

“The collaborative effort between public health, emergency management and all health care systems and the willingness of staff to do whatever needs to get done during the pandemic has been remarkable, and this is another illustration of that.”   Kim Westerholm, Director of Community Health Services.

The vaccines will be given on site to employees at the following locations:

Agropur
Center Fresh
Formosa Foods
Perdue
Premium Iowa Pork
SIG
Smithfield Orange City
Smithfield Sioux Center

Sioux County is following the Iowa Department of Public Health orders for COVID-19 vaccine administration and is administering vaccine to priority groups as it becomes available. This week Sioux County has expanded vaccine priority groups to include Childcare and PK-12 Teachers and School Staff in addition to individuals age 65 and older.

If you are 65+ or a teacher or on staff at a PK-12 school, sign-up at your local health system or at Hy-Vee using links listed on www.siouxcovid.org.

If you need help signing up please call your local health system or public health.

As more vaccine becomes available, the priority groups will continue to expand. Vaccine updates will be shared via media releases (newspaper, radio, and social media), health system websites and social media, and will be posted to www.siouxcovid.org.