The state’s first mobile vaccination teams began operations this week to assist local health department efforts to administer COVID-19 vaccines across Wisconsin.

The teams, which represent a joint effort of state resources and are made up of Citizen Soldiers and Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard and vaccinators from the University of Wisconsin system, piloted the program Jan. 19 in Greendale.

Hobbs Ice Arena staff have met with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department and, based on current COVID-19 levels and projected trends, have determined that it is possible for Hobbs to enter Phase 2 of re-opening which will include the return of a limited number of spectators for team sports beginning January 21, 2020.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced this morning that COVID-19 vaccine will be available for people 65 years and older starting on January 25. The 65 and over residents will be eligible under the new guidelines for Phase 1b of the vaccine rollout in the state. 

I spoke to Dunn County Health Administrator KT Gallagher today about the effect of this announcement on Dunn County residents, and how this will all work out.

The Wisconsin DHS will hold a Vaccine Q&A session today at 1:30 PM. We expect this session to cover information about the new expansion of vaccine availability to all Wisconsin residents over age 65. 

Today the state is reporting 42 more deaths due to COVID-19, so DHS is emphasizing again that we need to continue to follow good practices to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

President-elect Joe Biden is continuing to fill out his cabinet appointees, and today announced that he is appointing Wisconsin DHS Secretary-Designee Andrea Palm as Deputy-Secretary of the federal Department of Health Services. Palm will leave the state DHS on Jan. 20.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services held a Media Update at 1:30 PM today. The video is available here. 

In today's Senate session more changes were made to the Assembly's proposed COVID-19 billl, removing many of the items that Democrats and some Republicans in the legislature objected to. The modified bill is now going back to the state Assembly.

Gone are the bans on mandatory vaccines for employment, supermajority votes of school boards and other issues that would cripple local health authorities, and prohibitions of the closing of churches.