HOOPA VALLEY, Calif. (KIEM)-The Hoopa Valley Operation of Emergency Services reported 15 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing their total confirmed case count to one-hundred-and-nine – with 38-active cases – 71-recoveries and zero deaths.
According to Hoopa officials, the COVID-19 vaccine could not have come at a better time.
The first COVID-19 vaccine was administered Wednesday on the Hoopa Valley Reservation to Executive Director of K’ma:w Medical Center Dr. Emmett Chase.
“We had a shipment of Moderna vaccination that we received,” he said. “So, in preparation for doing, more vaccinations, we’ve been doing some walk-through scenarios on what needs to happen.”
Phase 1A of the Indian Health Service Vaccine Plan starts Monday – with front-line medical workers expected to receive the COVID-19 vaccine first.
“Each vial has enough vaccine for 10 vaccinations, so we rounded-up ten people to take part,” said Chase.
Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Byron Nelson Jr. was one of ten vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine Wednesday.
“I’ve had just about every shot known to mankind, I was in the army and usually you think that once the needle goes in and the substance is injected into you, it kind of stings,” he said. “Well, I couldn’t even feel it.”
Indian Health Services received 200 doses of Moderna for the Hoopa community, which has been in the works for weeks – another shipment is expected to arrive in Hoopa next week.
“Yeah, were still fighting it we can repeat the messages on and on and on and on, and that’s a good thing we have to do that,” said Nelson.
He urges everyone to continue to social distance – wash hands frequently and wear a mask.
Those who receive the vaccine are encouraged to report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via the Safe App Health Checker.
“We’re very thankful to have received vaccinations, over -all we should have enough to definitely reach out to most of the people currently in the high-risk category,” said Chase.
Which will include the elders – Nelson says, their tribe is resilient.
“We really have a good team together, in facilitating this whole thing, I am pretty proud of how we are facilitating this whole effort, years from now they’ll look back as another time we had to come together to survive.
Anyone with symptoms is urged to isolate at home or a motel and call the afterhours physician for instructions at (530) 625-4261 or at the Hoopa OES hotline (707) 630-7371.
