Mayor Gameros 2021 Message Vaccine Information

As we come to the end of 2020, this may be a year that we may not want to remember. Covid-19 has consumed our lives with sacrifices, fear, anxiety, and the unknown. It has taken away that direct human connection that we are so used to as humans. Many of our friends and family have suffered through the symptoms of this virus and some are no longer with us. Our city staff has also been hit hard with numerous positive cases. Under the direction of our Internal City Covid Team, they have navigated through these difficult times with policies, guidelines, and recommendations that have allowed us to continue to provide the necessary city services without interruption.

The end of 2020 also marks the end of my first four-year term as Mayor. I have had the privilege of working with a Council that is progressive and forward thinking for the prosperity of our community. We had many challenges to deal with and tough decisions to make, but we also had many accomplishments to be proud of. We have an amazing staff that continues to move forward with our city’s Strategic Action Plan and works hard to provide excellent services to all of our residents. The upgrading of our aging infrastructure has been a priority to our economic development plan. Prior to Covid, there was a tremendous amount of momentum and work put forward to help build the foundation of the economic future of our city. We have established relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders in our community, the region, and the state to help move projects forward. 2020 has made us more thankful for family, friends, health, and the small things in life. We have had to rely on our faith, our resiliency, and each other to keep us going. Our business community has struggled to stay open, but they have shown their determination to continue to survive. Even through Covid we have been able to complete annexation for an anticipated 95 home development, purchase property for a future state of the art fire station, and help move forward the Copper Creek project at the Hollis Drive-In property that will bring additional housing, rental accommodations, and retail to that location.

As we look forward to 2021, there is an anticipation that the vaccines will help us to slow the spread of this virus and help us manage it so we can get back to some type of normal life. But we still have a way to go and cannot let our guard down now. Our numbers are continuing to rise in our state and our community. We still need to be responsible and take all the necessary precautions by following all the guidelines of the scientists so we protect each other and at the same time keep our economy going. As we look forward to 2021, let us practice kindness, respect for each other, and unity. May we anticipate the new year with Joy in our hearts. Joy leads us to a mindset of resiliency of hope and possibility. May God bless our community with health and prosperity in 2021.

GILA COUNTY – JAN. 4: Gila County Health Department appreciates your patience in this time of COVID-19 vaccine. Our goal is to provide every resident in Gila County the opportunity for a COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC has published extensive recommendations for a phased approach for vaccine delivery within Gila County over the next several months. The Arizona Department of Health Services and Gila County will be following the recommendations established by CDC.

Due to the limited supply of vaccine, vaccination efforts will be highly targeted to protect the most vulnerable populations in Gila County. Phase 1 is divided into 3 sub phases. Phase 1A prioritizes front line healthcare workers, emergency medical service workers, and long-term care facility staff and residents. Phase 1B groups include adults in congregate settings, law enforcement, teachers and childcare workers, and essential services/ critical industry workers. Phase 1C includes any adults aged 65 and older, and adults of any age with high-risk medical conditions.

Phase 1 is expected to be completed by mid-February of 2021 since everyone requires two vaccine shots spread 28-30 days apart.

Gila County Health Department is currently moving into Phase 1B while still working on completing Phase 1A. Here are a few FAQ’s which I hope will assist you.

A: Group 1A is a very specific group of professionals and we were in contact with those health care organizations and first responders in advance of receiving our first allocation of vaccine and worked with this group to set-up clinics. The dates and times for these clinics were not publicized.

A: Vaccine is in short supply right now and each county is allocated vaccine by the CDC and ADHS based on a population formula. We can only plan clinics when we are allocated vaccine from the CDC and ADHS and the number of vaccines we receive changes from week to week.

A: Absolutely! As we continue to receive vaccine, we will open vaccination clinics throughout Gila County and work with our Health Care partners to make those available to every resident.

A: The Gila County Health Department will begin to notify the public utilizing Facebook postings, website updates, and press releases once we move into other groups and finalize dates and times for clinics. Information will be posted and periodically updated on our Gila County Health & Emergency Management and Gila County Facebook page as well as on www.Readygila.com.

A: The best way to contact us is to email us a request at covid19vaccine@gilacountyaz.gov We ask that you do not send a request until we have officially notified the public that the group you fall into is being vaccinated. Please allow several days for our COVID-19 team to answer your emails. We are currently receiving hundreds of emails and calls each day.

A: The Federal Government has contracted with CVS and Walgreens to administer the vaccine to this group and all long-term care and skilled nursing facilities in Gila County have signed agreements with CVS and Walgreens to have the COVID-19 vaccine administered to their staff and residents.

Additional information about the phased approach to providing the vaccine can be found here: How the CDC Is Making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations: https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines recommendations-process.html Sincerely, Michael O’Driscoll, Director Gila County Health and Emergency Management

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