Douglas County to deploy ‘Tiger Team’ to distribute increasing amount of available COVID-19 vaccines
Written by Patrick Schneider on March 25, 2021
Douglas County, Ore. – Douglas County health officials report, as of 12:00 pm, Thursday, March 25, 2021, there are fourteen people with new positive test results and one new death to report since Wednesday’s noon case update.
The total number of cases (people with positive test results and presumptive) in Douglas County is now at 2,826. Currently, there are nine Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, six locally and three out-of-the-area.
Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, has confirmed the death of another Douglas County resident related to the COVID-19 virus. The fifty-ninth death is a 76-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday, March 4, 2021, and passed away on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
Currently, DPHN is supporting 112 cases in isolation, as well as another 216 contacts in quarantine in Douglas County. Isolation is recommended for confirmed and presumptive cases, quarantine is recommended for contacts of confirmed or presumptive cases. At the moment, there are 328 total contacts and cases in isolation or quarantine.
As more and more COVID-19 vaccine doses are released from the Federal Government, a steady supply of vaccines are being distributed to Douglas County. To expand COVID-19 vaccination outreach, Douglas County is now able to expand their vaccination programs and outreach efforts. “Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners, who have lead the charge for our Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team efforts since the beginning, are pleased to announce that they have acquired two mobile medical vans (MMV) to assist in our efforts to bring COVID-19 vaccines to remote rural areas, as well as workplaces in Douglas County,” County Commissioners said. The two MMV’s, will be outfitted with coolers and medical supplies in order to conduct small ‘pop up’ vaccine clinics at businesses, farms, fire stations and locations all over our county.
In a coordinated effort with Douglas Public Health Network, the MMV’s will be managed by a new local ‘Tiger Team’. The term tiger team refers to a small group of handpicked, highly skilled experts, who provide expertise in approaching and solving problems in effective ways. This new local Tiger Team will be made up of local health care professionals, some of whom were integral in helping to run drive through testing clinics, mass vaccination events, as well as individuals from highly successful epi-teams.
