MANAGING COVID-19 RESPONSE IN
WISCONSIN, INCLUDING VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION, IS INTERIM
SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES, CD R KAREN
TIMBERLAKE.
SHE TAKES OVER FOR ANDREA PALM.
SHE SERVED IN THE SAME ROLE
UNDER GOVERNOR JIM DOYLE.
SHE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.
>> SAME ROLE, DIFFERENT TIMES.
HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS GOING TO
BE?
>> VERY DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HERE AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO
PROTECTING AND PROMOTING THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE
OF WISCONSIN.
BUT THAT MISSION HAS NEVER BEEN
MORE MEANINGFUL THAN RIGHT NOW
AS WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR WAY
THROUGH THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
>> WHAT ARE THE NEXT CONCRETE
STEPS THAT YOU EXPECT TO TAKE IN
WISCONSIN'S RESPONSE TO THIS?
>> THERE REALLY ARE THREE TOP
PRIORITIES RELATED TO THE
RESPONSE.
THE FIRST IS TO GET VACCINES
INTO ARMS OF PEOPLE ALL ACROSS
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS
IN THAT REGARD.
WE HAVE GIVEN OVER 700,000
PEOPLE IN OUR STATE THEIR FIRST
DOSE OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
SO THAT MEANS 12% OF OUR ENTIRE
STATE POPULATION HAS RECEIVED
THEIR FIRST DOSE.
THE SECOND PRIORITY IS TO
CONTINUE WITH ALL OF THE
PREVENTIVE MEASURES THAT WE KNOW
WORK: WEARING MASKS, KEEPING
PHYSICALLY DISTANT FROM PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT IN OUR IMMEDIATE
HOUSEHOLD, KEEPING OUR HANDS
CLEAN AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND THE THIRD PRIORITY IS TO
CONTINUE WITH TESTING.
TESTING HAS SORT OF FALLEN A
LITTLE BIT OFF OF EVERYONE'S
RADAR SCREEN AS WE'VE BEEN
FOCUSED ON THE VACCINE.
BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS WE NEED
TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO TRACK
THIS DISEASE VERY CAREFULLY.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED
PEOPLE TO GET TESTED.
>> WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION AND
HOPE THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ABLE TO
QUICKLY SOLVE ISSUES OF VACCINE
SUPPLY AND CONSISTENCY OF
SHIPMENTS SO THAT YOUR AGENCY
CAN OFFER THE SAME TO AT
VACCINATORS OUT THERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS
SHOWN ALREADY THAT THEY ARE
INTENDING TO BE A GREAT PARTNER
WITH STATES.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMMUNICATION.
WE HAVE SEEN INCREASES IN THE
ALLOCATION OF VACCINE THAT HAS
COME TO WISCONSIN JUST IN THE
LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND BEGINNING THIS WEEK, WE'RE
ABLE TO ALLOW OUR MANY
VACCINATOR PARTNERS, OUR
HOSPITALS, OUR CLINICS, OUR
FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH
CENTERS, PHARMACIES ALL ACROSS
THE STATE TO REQUEST VACCINE FOR
TWO WEEKS INSTEAD OF ONE WEEK,
WHICH I KNOW IS A LITTLE BIT OF
PROGRESS, BUT IT'S JUST THAT
MUCH MORE PREDICTABILITY FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO HELP US ACTUALLY
ADMINISTER THOSE SHOTS INTO ARMS
TO SAVE LIVES ALL ACROSS THE
STATE.
>> SO THAT'S ON THAT SIDE.
AN APPLETON POST CRESCENT REPORT
WROTE SHE HAS TAKEN MORE THAN
100 CALLS IN TWO DAYS FROM
ELDERLY READERS DESPERATE ABOUT
HOW TO GET THE VACCINE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE LONG
SINCE ELIGIBLE BUT STILL STUCK
NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE
VACCINE?
>> YEAH.
WE'RE RIGHT IN THAT PLACE WHERE
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY
PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
GETTING THE COVID VACCINE AND
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONNECT
PEOPLE TO VACCINES.
WE NEED A COUPLE THINGS TO
HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR THAT TO
OCCUR.
WE NEED ALL OF OUR HOSPITALS,
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS,
PHARMACIES TO BE COMMUNICATING
PROACTIVELY IN THEIR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES ABOUT HOW BEST TO
ACCESS THE VACCINES.
IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
ORGANIZATION BY ORGANIZATION.
WE ALSO REALLY NEED TO ASK
PEOPLE TO BE PATIENT AND TO
UNDERSTAND THAT GOING FROM ZERO
VACCINE ON DECEMBER 13 TO NOW
700,000 PLUS SHOTS HAVING BEEN
GIVEN A FEW SHORT WEEKS LATER,
IT'S AN ACHIEVEMENT AND WE'RE
GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT IT.
ANYONE WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO
USE THE INTERNET SHOULD BE
LOOKING FIRST ON THE WEBSITE OF
THEIR OWN DOCTOR'S OFFICE, THEIR
LOCAL PHARMACY, THEIR LOCAL
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SEE
WHAT INFORMATION THEY CAN FIND.
IF THEY CAN'T FIND THE
INFORMATION THAT WAY, PICK UP
THE PHONE, BUT RECOGNIZE, RIGHT,
THAT PHONE LINES GET JAMMED
QUICKLY.
AND THE THIRD THING IS THAT AS
WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE MORE VACCINE
SUPPLY AND WE ARE STANDING UP
MORE COMMUNITY VACCINATION
SITES, WE WILL ALSO BE SETTING
UP REGISTRATION ON A WEBSITE
THAT WILL ENABLE PEOPLE TO FIND
VACCINE AT THOSE COMMUNITY SITES
MORE EASILY THAN THEY'RE ABLE TO
AGAIN.
>> OKAY.
SO BRIEFLY, THE LEGISLATURE THIS
WEEK ELIMINATED THE MASK
MANDATE.
THE GOVERNOR TURNED AROUND,
REINSTATED IT.
TODAY THE LEGISLATURE PASSES ITS
COVID RELIEF BILL.
THE GOVERNORS VETOES IT.
HOW ARE POLITICS AFFECTING OUR
RESPONSE?
>> HERE WE ARE FOCUSED ON WHAT
WE NEED TO DO IN THIS RESPONSE,
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OUR
PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE,
COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH
HOSPITALS, CLINICS, ALL OUR
DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING OUR
LEGISLATURE TO HELP THE PEOPLE
OF WISCONSIN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
KAREN