North Central Health District

UPDATE: County health departments scaling back services to respond to COVID-19

Posted April 9, 2020 by Michael Hokanson

With the increasing number of local confirmed cases of COVID-19, North Central Health District (NCHD) county health departments are further limiting services to only the most crucial public health services.

Our goal is to protect the health of our clients, health department staff members, residents and communities by focusing our efforts on COVID-19 response.

Anyone visiting their local county health department will be asked to call the facility from their vehicle before entering the building. If additional services need to be provided after the initial phone call, clients will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and have their temperature taken before they can enter the health department. Any client visiting for medication should wait in their vehicle for a staff member to bring it directly to them.

Public health departments in Baldwin, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Macon-Bibb, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson Counties will be limited until further notice:

• Vaccines for essential COVID-19 response workers (like healthcare, EMS, law enforcement and other first responders) and children age 2 and under.
• STD treatment for positive individuals and their contacts – individuals will be interviewed by phone and only enter the health department for treatment.
• Tuberculosis program will be limited – contact investigations will continue, but TB skin tests will be given to essential COVID-19 response workers.
• Hypertension, diabetes management and PrEP services will be conducted over phone visits – client will only enter the health department if lab work is required.
• All birth control services will be conducted over phone visits. Certain birth control options will not be available at this time.
• Medicaid enrollment for women’s health and pregnancy.
• WIC program vouchers.

All health departments are not accepting walk-in clients at this time and late clinic hours are suspended. Anyone in need of clinical services should call ahead to make an appointment.

County Environmental Health services are operating as usual, but there may be delays and limited service delivery in some areas. Please call your local Environmental Health office to confirm availability.

Contact your local health department if you have any questions or to schedule an appointment.

For more information about COVID-19, including local case counts and guidance for organizations, visit NCHD52.org/coronavirus.