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This Week: Cherries in Bloom; Updated Mask Guidance; Child Care Forum

First, the big news. Cherry blossoms are here! 

Okay, it’s not the most important news of the week, but cherry blossoms make people happy. So drive, walk, and bike around and be happy. 

The blossoms have arrived about a week earlier than usual, with some trees in Southern Door County in full bloom, and those in the northern part of the county just breaking out. The blossoms usually stick around for about a week. 

Vaccine Clinics

Back to more important news this week. Vaccination clinics for COVID-19 continue this week, with vaccines now available to children ages 12 and up. 

Door County Public Health continues to offer vaccines by appointment every Wednesday late afternoon in-building at the Aging and Disability  Resource Center (ADRC) at 916 N. 14th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay.  

The department will offer a second clinic at the Sister Bay Fire Station, 2258 Mill Road, this Thursday, May 20.  Appointments are required. Vaccine choice is available at the time of scheduling. To schedule an appointment for your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine click here. For those under the age of 18, a  parent must sign the consent form and a responsible adult must accompany the minor to the vaccine appointment. There is no cost for the vaccine, it is free to all and no insurance information is collected.  

Belin Health announced it will now offer walk-in or appointment-based vaccinations at its Sturgeon Bay location at 311 N. 3rd Ave. 

On Monday a group of physicians, nurse practitioners at Door County Medical Center released a joint letter urging residents and visitors to get vaccinated. Read their plea here>>

Public Health Updates Mask Guidance

The Door County Public Health Department updated its mask advisory Monday to bring it in line with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new guidance says that fully vaccinated people may “resume the activities they did before the pandemic, including participating in indoor and outdoor activities – large and  small – without wearing a mask or physically distancing.”

“The CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health Services have released new guidance based on science that shows  COVID-19 vaccines are effective in real-world settings in preventing mild and severe disease, hospitalization,  and death,” the statement said. 

A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if it has been two or more weeks since they got the  second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or one dose of a single-dose vaccine (Johnson &  Johnson).  

The department said mask wearing should continue in health care settings, K-12 schools,  correctional and detention facilities, homeless shelters, and public transportation as well as places where  masks are required by local laws, rules, and regulations, including local businesses and workplaces. 

Improving and Expanding Child Care in Door County

United Way of Door County has been working with community members for the past 15 months to better understand the county’s child care system, its strengths, its challenges, and ways it can be improved.  Now the organization is hosting two virtual, public events focused on the future of childcare in Door County.

On Tuesday, May 18, 6:30-7:30 pm, it will host an overview of Door County’s child care system and community members’ thoughts on ways to improve it. 

Then on Tuesday, May 25, from 6:30 – 8 pm it will host a town hall meeting with invited guests 

Including state Sen. Andre Jacque, Rep. Joel Kitchens, and a member of Representative Mike Gallagher’s staff about Door County’s child care needs.  Community members will get to share their experiences meeting child care needs and their thoughts on how to improve our local child care system.  There will also be discussion about how the community can work with elected officials to address this high-priority community needs.

To attend, register with Christina Studebaker to receive the Zoom link at [email protected] or 920.746.9645. 

We wrote extensively about the state of child care in Door County in this year’s edition of the Door County Living Philanthropy Issue. Read “Searching for A New Child Care Model” here>>

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