Jean Ann Miller
Representative Darin LaHood made a stop at the Logan County Department of Public Health Monday to check the status of how the department is doing with administering the vaccines, COVID-19 testing and overall needs of the agency to fight the virus.
Don Cavi, director of LCDPH, said he was glad to hear LaHood’s concerns for the county.
“We appreciate your interest, it’s been disruptive but we are doing o.k.,” said Cavi while inviting the congressman to tour the testing area.
Kara Davis, assistant administrator of LCDPH, and Faye Allison, Emergency Response Coordinator/Environmental Health Specialist, welcomed LaHood to the waiting room where they walked him through the process of getting the test or the vaccine.
LaHood asked for feedback on whether on not the department was getting enough supplies to accommodate the vaccination process.
“Right now our push is to get shots in the arms,” said Cavi.
One concern shared with LaHood was the need for staffing when the Illinois Department of Public Health is requiring all departments to work four Saturday's in a row.
"If you are fully staffed it works, however we are a small staff and it's tough to ask them to sacrifice every Saturday," said Cavi.
LaHood said he was impressed with the determination of those working on Logan County's front line and when he returns to Washington will share what he saw.
"I think that the number one thing that we've been focused on in D.C. is getting the vaccine produced and getting it distributed. We now need to get it distributed at higher levels and we saw that here today. The more we can get out so that they can get people fully vaccinated the better. That was a message I heard today and I'll take back to Washington D.C.You have capable people here that are dedicated to their cause," said LaHood.
