Nearly two years to the day of the county’s first COVID-19 cases, just one new case was reported Monday in Johnson County, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
And on Tuesday, Johnson Memorial Health was treating just one COVID-19 patient at the county hospital.
The Johnson County Health Department’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinic at Compass Park is scaling back as cases and hospitalizations are back in a lull. The clinic is moving to the health department’s office at 460 N. Morton Street, Suite A, Franklin, because the demand is low and events are resuming at Compass Park’s event center, said Betsy Swearingen, health department director.
The Compass Park site will close on Thursday, and testing and vaccinations will start again at the health department the following Monday. The clinic will be closed on Friday to accommodate the move, she said.
The health department first began offering tests in September 2020 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, when the state first offered up CARES Act funding for counties to offer community testing. The health department’s clinic moved to Compass Park in April 2021, at a time when testing demand was low, and the initial rush to get vaccinations had started to die down.
Walk-in vaccinations and drive-up tests will be offered until at least June 30, when the state’s grant program for community testing and vaccinations ends, Swearingen said.
Tests and vaccinations not given prior to June 30 will be available until supplies run out. Health department staff are looking at options to offer tests and vaccinations after the state grant expires if the budget can support the cost of continuing the clinic, she said.
The clinic has seen low testing and vaccination volumes for the past month, which is likely indicative of appointment availability at local pharmacies, at-home tests and declining community spread.
The health department gave about 100 tests last week, a stark contrast from earlier this year when they gave hundreds of tests a day, Swearingen said.
With most who want one already boosted, vaccination volumes are also low. Totals vary by the day, with anywhere from single digits to a couple dozen vaccinations given each day, she said.
As Johnson County approaches the two-year anniversary of the first three cases discovered locally, the pandemic is becoming endemic, said Dr. David Dunkle, Johnson Memorial president and CEO. The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride that hospital staff are glad is finally slowing down, he said.
The pandemic has reached such a lull that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say most vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks. Still, people visiting a health care facility or using public transportation must continue to wear a face covering until further notice, the CDC says.
However, it is too early to declare victory over COVID-19 or put masks away forever. At any moment, a new variant could surface, or natural or vaccine immunity could eventually wear off and make people vulnerable again, Dunkle said.
The key to this next stage of the pandemic is flexibility. If cases do surge again, the public should mask again. But in the meantime, it is OK to relax a little, he said.
Still, those with COVID-19 symptoms or potential exposure should get tested and quarantine or isolate at home if necessary. People with vulnerable family members, or who are vulnerable themselves, should also use caution when returning to normal, Dunkle said.
