The Mechanicsville Local – 02/24/2021

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Vol. 36, No. 47 | Richmond Suburban News | February 24, 2021

STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN

COVID-19 call center staying busy By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local

Metro Creative Connection

More vaccination questions answered (Editor’s note: The following FAQ – frequently asked questions – was compiled by Michelle Barnett, Hanover County public information specialist.) z How do I know which vaccination phase I fall under? The Virginia Department of Health website offers a graphic, breaking down each phase as well as an online tool to help you determine which phase of the vaccination campaign you fall under. That online tool can be found here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/ Where can I go to get my vaccine? At this time those who are eligible to receive a vaccine under the Phase 1 campaign will need to sign-up if they wish to receive the vaccine. In order to sign-up for the vaccine waiting list, you may visit the Virginia Department of Health’s online vaccine survey tool, which can be found here: vaccinate.virginia.gov Or, if you prefer to speak to someone, you can call the Hanover County COVID-19 call center to sign-up by phone: 804-365-3240 or Virginia Department of Health’s statewide vaccination hotline at 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682). Someone from the health department will contact you to set up your vaccination appointment once it is your turn (based on the phase and vaccine supply). If you have already signed up online or other see VACCINATION, pg. 7

HANOVER -- While a recently initiated state coronavirus hotline is up and running and should replace efforts now managed by local health districts, Hanover’s COVID-19 hotline continues to field questions and register patients for vaccines. State officials announced the new site at a news conference last week and said residents could obtain vaccination information at

Gill reviews details of HCPS budget proposal

877-VAX-IN-VA. Governor Ralph Northam said the center is receiving calls at a brisk rate in its first days of operation. County Administrator John Budesky referenced the new state site at last week’s Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting, where he provides a COVID update at each gathering, but said the county’s efforts would continue. “I anticipate leaving our hotline up and running until we are confident that the state’s system can meet the needs of our residents,” he said. “We’re here in the absence of the state’s call

see COVID-19, pg. 7

Round 2: Moderna vaccine packs a bigger punch -- still worth getting

By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local

By Dave Lawrence Richmond Suburban News

HANOVER -- A day after the Hanover County School Board unanimously approved his proposed FY2022 budget, Michael Gill, superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools, presented the Hanover County Board of Supervisors with the details of the $215 million spending plan. Gill said this proposal restores the bulk of what was removed from the current budget once the pandemic struck in March of last year. When the superintendent asked the school board to approve a revised and scaled down document last year, he said the move represented a pause in the requests, not an abandonment of badly-needed resources to fill

MECHANICSVILLE – When I got the first of the series of two shots of the Moderna COVID vaccine, it was pretty much painless save for a sore arm. Lest readers get their expectations too high, I must warn: The kick from the second of the two shots proved quite a doozy. My experience was not unusual. What I went through with the Moderna vaccine is similar to the experiences of those receiving the two-dose mRNA vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. For the second round, I had to travel to Saluda to the Three Rivers Health District offices. Registration for the second shot was a bit quicker as I had already been through the process. I also had my COVID-19 Vaccination

see GILL, pg. 9

center until further notice.” The Hanover Call Center is receiving more than 500 calls a day and has responded to 9,200 calls since opening. Vaccinations continue at the Ashland Food Lion Clinic, where 800 shots were issued on the day Budesky provided his update. “We’ve been very active,” he said. A limited number of appointments are available at the Mechanicsville Turnpike CVS but those supplies are limited, according to

Dave Lawrence, sports editor of The Mechanicsville Local and Ashland-Hanover Local, once again shares his personal experience with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. He recently received the second dose.

Record Card, which is required for one to get a second dose – the card may also may be vital if

one needs proof of vaccination to work or travel later. see ROUND 2, pg. 8


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