“Our Valparaiso test site was always testing more than that,” Stamp said. The Portage site sees less traffic, perhaps 70 a day. It’s at a Northwest Health facility on Lute Road and has less room for socially distanced patients. Another facility, operating under a state contract, also serves patients in Portage.
Each of the county’s sites operates 29 hours per week, including three Saturdays a month.
The Board of Health this week also approved a detailed plan for dealing with public health emergencies, including potentially a mass distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Other emergencies covered by the plan could include dealing with chemical or biological attacks, a disaster at one of southwest Michigan’s nuclear power plants or a high-yield explosive.
A medical reserve corps is being assembled in the county. Valparaiso firefighters, the Valparaiso University School of Nursing plus retired medical personnel are being recruited to help administer a COVID-19 vaccine in case the county is asked to do mass inoculations.
“It’s nice to know there’s that extent of planning for emergency preparedness,” board President Martin Moeller said as he looked at the four large binders full of information about the plan.
