Button — Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Anne Blankenship Hamilton County Public Health is continuing to hold vaccine clinics for those over age 65 and those 64 and younger with underlying conditions. Starting in April, the clinics will start to open up for all adults who wish to receive the vaccine.

About 4,600 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far in Hamilton County and clinics are continuing to ramp up this month.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she was opening up the vaccine queue for all adults, beginning April 5, provided supply projections are met.

Hamilton County Public Health Administrator Shelby Kroona asked the general public who would be eligible not to contact the health department until April 1 to set up appointments.

“We’ll shortly be letting people know how to call in to get on the schedule,” she said. “We will move to the full open schedule in April.”

In the meantime, Kroona said her staff would continue to administer doses to workers at area manufacturers. Clinics for manufacturing workers are planned, she added.

Currently, the health department is also continuing to vaccinate people who are 65 and older, along with those 64 and younger with underlying health conditions. For the past several weeks, mass clinics have been held at Briggs Woods Conference Center.

“Our plan for the next few weeks will be to continue to give first doses and booster doses at Briggs Woods through the month of April,” said Kroona.

Those currently eligible for the first dose can call the health department at 832-9565 to get on the list for upcoming clinics. Kroona said those awaiting the second dose should get a call reminding them of the booster shot a few days before the scheduled clinic. She said Van Diest Medical Clinic volunteers have been helping out by making the reminder calls.

An Iowa Department of Public Health report released Wednesday confirmed that there were 38 additional cases of the B.1.1.7 variant (the UK variant) in the state of Iowa, bringing the statewide total to 63. The first cases were reported on Feb. 1.

“Because it’s here, people should continue to use those good public health precautions because it is very contagious,” Kroona said. Frequent hand washing, physically distancing, wearing a mask and staying home when ill are still measures that should be observed, she said.

Hamilton County currently has a 4 percent positivity rate for the past 7 days, while that number is encouraging, Kroona said it was also deceptive.

“We know that our testing numbers are not accurate. We’re seeing fewer people test for COVID-19,” she said. She gave the example that a few days ago, three people tested and all three results came back positive, which gave the county a 100 percent positivity rate for that day. The next two days, no one tested, so the county’s positivity rate dropped to 0.

“It is still imperative that if people think they have COVID-19 that they get tested so we can get people isolated and try to stop the spread of the virus,” she said.

“The virus is still circulating in Hamilton County,” she said. “We want people to continue to seek out vaccine appointments and continue to wear their masks. If you’re not feeling well, stay home.”