Hamilton County health officials are seeing a slight downturn in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

Last week there were 36 new cases that tested positive in Hamilton County, according to Public Health Administrator Shelby Kroona. She gave an update to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning during the regular board session.

“Nationwide, especially in the middle of the country and in Iowa, we’ve been seeing a downward trend, which is a good thing to see as the vaccine is rolling out,” she said. “We’re also seeing lower positivity rates and fewer people testing positive.”

Kroona said her department is hearing anecdotally that people with signs and symptoms may not be testing.

“It’s important that if you think you have COVID-19 that you get tested so that we can do the contact tracing,” she said.

She also debunked a rumor that the health department is no longer contract tracing.

“That is not true. We partner with the schools, the state and anybody who has a positive test, it gets sent to the health department and we do follow up.”

Kroona also said that those testing positive are also asked to go ahead and start contacting people they have been in contact with due to the lag in the time between the positive test results and when the health department finds out. She said it usually takes four days for positive test results to reach her department.

“So if people have taken a test, they need to stay home until they know the results,” she said. “And if you find you’re out you’re positive before the health department calls you, then go ahead and start assembling that list of individuals.”

Kroona said if people don’t feel comfortable calling the contacts, her department will make the calls and give instruction on testing and isolation.

“As of this morning, there have been 6,577 people tested in Hamilton County with 4,947 testing negative,” she said. “A total of 1,625 have tested positive.”

Kroona said there have been 30 deaths in Hamilton County related to COVID-19. The deaths range in age from 60 to 100, she added.

She explained that the federal government contracted and purchased all of the COVID-19 vaccine. The federal government then allocated the vaccine to the states by population.

“Since Iowa does not have as large a population as other states, our allotment is about 19,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine each week.

“Then the state turns around and allocates those 19,000 doses to the 99 counties, once again by population,” she said.

Hamilton County averages about 200 doses per week, when the health department is able to receive it.

“Please be patient with us, as we work through the shortage,” she urged area residents. “We know that Astrazeneca and also Johnson and Johnson are in the pipeline for emergency use authorization. But until that time, we will only receive the Moderna vaccine in Hamilton County.”

Kroona said her department plans to give booster doses the first two weeks of February to those who have already received the first dose.

A small allocation of 200 doses will be distributed to local clinics — Van Diest Family Health Clinic, Iowa Specialty Hospital Clinic in Webster City and McFarland Clinic in Webster City — to start the process of vaccinating the 65 and older age group.

“Keep in mind that’s only 200 doses between the three clinics and one of the clinics has two satellite locations,” she said. There have been questions from the rural areas of the county with residents wondering when the vaccine would be available.

“We will eventually have enough vaccine flowing into the county, but at this time we have to do a very measured and planned roll out of this vaccine because its not very much,” Kroona said.

As each clinic has its own implementation plan for the vaccine, she suggested that area residents watch the clinic’s social media pages to find out if they should call for an appointment.

Kroona said she’s waiting to hear if there will be another shipment scheduled for the second week of February. If there is an allocation, her department will retain some of the vaccine which will target daycare providers, teachers, police officers and firefighters.

“But once again, it will likely be just 200 doses,” she said.

“It’s a challenging jigsaw puzzle,” she said.