Local Covid threat lingers as government extends support
DOVER (WJER) (Jan. 17, 2023) – Tuscarawas County Health Department officials say Covid vaccines will remain free for at least another few months.
Some reports had indicated Moderna and Pfizer were considering charging up to $130 dollars or so per dose when their government contracts end.
But Tuscarawas County Health Department spokeswoman Jennifer Demuth says that won’t happen anytime soon since the US Department of Health and Human Services recently extended the public health emergency another 90 days, meaning the federal government will continue to support Covid services for local healthcare providers such as vaccines and at-home testing kits.
Demuth says it’s necessary as Tuscarawas County for the fourth week in a row is in the yellow or medium Covid-19 community level on the CDC’s latest map, one of 44 counties with that designation.
That came despite a slight improvement in the numbers with 59 new cases reported in the county last week, compared to 78 a week earlier.
There were 10 new hospitalizations last week, down from 12 the previous week, as well as two additional deaths.