The Williams County Health Department has developed community talking points in an effort to provide useful information as we work together to prevent COVID-19 spread in our community.
- COVID-19 cases remain high in Williams County. In the past 7 days (Jan. 12th-Jan. 19th), there have been 112 new cases, 12 hospitalizations, and 9 deaths. As of 1/14, Williams County remains level 3 (red) on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System (OPHAS) and triggered 3 of the 7 indicators (New cases per capita, New case increase, & Non-congregate cases) and high incidence.Free COVID-19 Testing Site
-Testing is important to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Williams County, in partnership with the Ohio National Guard, has scheduled another pop-up COVID-19 testing site.
Date & Time: Saturday, January 23rd from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Gillette Building, Williams County Fairgrounds – 619 Main St. Montpelier, OH 43543
-Preregistering will save you time at the first station at the event; however, preregistration is not required. To preregister, visit: https://bit.ly/COVIDTestWC. Need help preregistering? Find step-by-step instructions on the WCHD Facebook page.
The WCHD is now scheduling appointments for people who are 75 years or older in Williams County. Call the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center to make an appointment at 866-395-1588. Find information about vaccine eligibility on the WCHD website. https://bit.ly/2N8b7t4
Why is it important to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Source: CDC
COVID-19 vaccines will help keep you from getting COVID-19.
-All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing people from getting COVID-19.
-Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. These vaccines cannot give you the disease.
-Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Experts continue to conduct more studies about the vaccine’s ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
The COVID-19 vaccine offers a safer way to build protection against the virus.
-COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. If you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.
-All the COVID-19 vaccines that are being used have gone through the same safety tests and meet the same standards as any other vaccines produced through the years. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine.
-Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity, but experts don’t know how long this protection lasts. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity.
-COVID-19 vaccines work by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. This protects you from COVID-19 without having to experience sickness.
COVID-19 vaccines are an important tool to help stop the pandemic.
-Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
-The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s and ODH’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19. Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available.