FROM PAGE 1

by listing its many aspects.

To begin with, volunteers from The Grove United Methodist Church were operating a carnival. They distributed popcorn, walking tacos and candy. Additionally, they made enrichments such as “Squirt Out,” self-face painting, temporary tattoo-placing and “Throw Down” available to attendees.

Secondly, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Twin Cities supplied a craft at the Family Fun Night. They invited The Journal and others to attempt Crumple Art Painting. It was an “easy” enrichment that required “minimal adult intervention.” These were the words of Jeanna Vazquez. She is the Senior Match Engagement Coordinator of BBBS Twin Cities. Vazquez shared her organization’s rationale for investing time and resources into the event: “So, we partner with Skoolie to do these events…It’s a way for us spread community and share information about Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

Meanwhile, the Skoolie Squad and SoWashCo CARES were facilitating their traditional Family Fun Night services. People could interact with the prize wheel, SoWashCo CARES Fruit Stand, little free library and information table. Also, outdoor toys from the Skoolie bus were made accessible to all.

The Grove’s carnival, the crumple art paintings, and the services courtesy of SWCS were not the only aspects of last Thursday evening at Armstrong. It was not a traditional Skoolie Family Fun Night. Rather, it was the sixth of eight Free COVID-19 Vaccine Events at Skoolie Family Fun Nights. The Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment’s Community Health Trailer was in attendance.

The Community Health Trailer is a mobile clinic that stocks the Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19. The vehicle consists of a couple of windows, entrances, one rest area that patients lay in if they feel unwell upon being immunized, televisions, cabinets and surveillance cameras.

Aside from vaccines and amenities, nurses and community health specialists occupy the Community Health Trailer. The Journal spoke to one nurse by the name of Colleen Carter. She was able to describe the vehicle’s evolvement and benefits. “The trailer, I think, was always a dream of the county to have,” Carter started. “And now, with COVID, it made more sense to have more of a mobile effort…From my perspective as a nurse, and somebody who’s bringing the vaccine and other important things to the event, it is nice to just have this all ready to go, and all we have to do is kind of set up and everything’s in it that we need. And on these really hot days, it is air conditioned!”

Since June 30, the Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment has parked their Community Health Trailer at select Skoolie Family Fun Nights with means of reaching unvaccinated families. Carter reasoned, “[We] figured, especially with families, with children [here]…we offer the Pfizer vaccine. And that is good for children 12 years old and older. So that was one of the thoughts…I think we’re at the point in our COVID-19 response to bring things out to people make it even more accessible…easier… more convenient.”

Jade is a community health specialist who has been present at every Community Health Trailer clinic. She defined the turnout that she has witnessed at Skoolie Family Fun Nights: “So, almost every clinic we’ve had around, I would say an average of two or three. Besides, our Woodbury one, we did have 16…it is really a mix between second and first doses, which is really exciting.”

Out of everybody who has been immunized through the Vaccine Events at Skoolie Family Fun Nights, one patient’s story was “most memorable” to Jade. On an evening when the Community Health Trailer visited Royal Oaks Elementary School, a nearby woman voiced her desire to protect her son from COVID-19. Her dilemma was that it was not her turn to watch her son. She walked to her house and phoned the father of the boy. That night, a family was spending time at her home. The kids a part of that family wanted their shots, too. At the end of the day, the mother’s son and her friend’s kids secured their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Jade reflected, “So, I thought that was just so cool that we were so convenient for them…because they’ve been wanting to do it for so long but they were both single parents and they’re like, ‘[We] can’t get off work, and also [we] just don’t know where to go, and the scheduling has just been chaotic.’ So, I think that was probably the most rewarding situation that we’ve had with Skoolie.”

Mayo Clinic’s Minnesota Coronavirus Map displays that Washington County experienced an increase in average daily COVID-19 cases during the last month. The number of average daily COVID-19 cases on June 23, 2021 was 4. By July 23, that mean escalated to 11. Mayo Clinic is predicting that by August 4, Washington County’s average daily cases will be at 17, or in between 7 and 42. Minnesota’s fatality rate remained at 1.27% from July 17 to July 21.

Currently, more than half of Washington County residents are fully vaccinated. Phrased in a different way, 60.1% of the region is protected from COVID-19. The following county-level statistics were last revised on July 20 by the State of Minnesota: 45% of children aged 12-15 have completed both doses of a BioNTech Pfizer vaccine. 59% of 16- and 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated. Out of all Washington County residents who exceed the age of 11, 71.4% are completely vaccinated. With this data, it is significant to note that kids under 12 are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine yet.

This data discloses that more than ¼ of Washington County dwellers have not begun or finished a dose series. The Journal asked the nurses and specialists of the Community Health Trailer if, when and why locals should get vaccinated. Jade answered, “I think now is a perfect time, as well as anytime… if we want to move school to somewhat back-tonormal, I think that stuff is going to be getting the vaccine… parents can have their kids return to school without being worried and stressed about them getting sick and missing sports or getting behind… Especially because, [in] winter, everyone gets sick anyways, so might as well prepare yourself for that…this is just something on top of everything else that goes around in the winter.”

Carter added, “Of course there’s the talk of the variants… and that is scary. But, Pfizer and Moderna, specifically, are better coverage for the variants that we’ve seen I believe so far…I would just hope everyone can get vaccinated… everyone who can get vaccinated.”

There are opportunities in and around Cottage Grove to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Two upcoming Vaccine Events at Skoolie Family Fun Nights remain. The first one will be on Monday, August 9 at Royal Oaks Elementary School. Newport Elementary School is where the final one will unfold. Both Vaccine Events will begin at 5pm and end at 6:30pm. Another way to become vaccinated locally is by entering the Cottage Grove Service Center on Mondays. Shots are issued there between 2pm and 4pm. To launch their COVID-19 vaccine journey, one can search www.co.washington. mn.us/3328/COVID-19Vaccine-Clinics in any Internet browser.

A SWCS Community Education flag was perched in front of Armstrong Elementary School’s main entrance. Photo by Sadie Jones

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to “create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.” Danielle and Jeanna taught local families how to create crumpled art paintings. Photo by Sadie Jones

The “official” and “new” SoWashCo CARES Fruit Stand is almost completely painted. It offers fresh and free produce to all! Photo by Sadie Jones