Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Anne Blankenship Staff members of Hamilton County Public Health gathered at the courthouse Tuesday morning as the Board of Supervisors offered their thanks for the teams work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just a day after national Public Health Thank You Day, the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors offered thanks Tuesday morning to the staff and administration of Hamilton County Public Health.

Meeting in a socially-distanced meeting in the basement of the Hamilton County Courthouse, Board Chairman Doug Bailey read a tribute to the health care workers who have been on the front lines of testing, tracing and tracking COVID-19 throughout the county.

“To say that we are living in a strange and dangerous time, doesn’t quite capture the essence of the sheer terror, denial and dysfunctionality of the coronavirus,” Bailey said.

“Individuals are being delivered to hospitals, unconscious. After they are revived and are told they have COVID-19, their response is ‘No. That can’t be. It must be something else … It’s a hoax,'” said the noticeably emotional Bailey.

The supervisor criticized what he called “a fractured response at the federal level and an inadequate response from the state,” adding that it was once again up to local government, specifically public health teams and emergency management, working with local medical providers, care centers and hospitals to carry the response.

Bailey said during the Thanksgiving season, Hamilton County should be thankful for the medical providers, the hospital and care centers in this county.

He thanked Administrator Shelby Kroona and her staff, who have been battling this virus since the middle of March, trying to flatten the curve.

“Through contract tracing, often dealing with residents who are less than cooperative, providing testing at all times of the day and night, while moving ahead with flu clinics and now preparing to deliver life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations.

“Shelby, to you and your dedicated staff, we say thank you very much to all of you,” he said. “We do appreciate it. The residents of Hamilton County appreciate the effort you put into all of this,”Bailey said as those in attendance broke into applause.

Kroona and many members of her staff were in attendance at the meeting.

“If I could, I’d give you all a hug,” Bailey told them.