Living Here
Many wonderful local events are coming this weekend, starting with the opening of the Ice Castle.
The Ice Castle in Geneva National opens this Friday, January 22nd, and tickets are on sale now at icecastles.com. New policies and procedures are in place to help keep everyone safe and healthy, along with limiting the number of guests inside the castle at any one time; make sure to reserve an open time soon before tickets are sold out.
Saturday, January 23rd, is the annual Lake Geneva Winter Bridal Expo, which is usually held at the Riviera Pier Complex, but, because of the construction at the Riviera, and virus effects, will look a little different this year. This year the event will be held at Bella Vista Suites, The Cove, as well as virtually. Attendees will be able to mix and mingle with the area’s best wedding professionals and have any questions answered. Guests will also be able to view the information online through the end of January.
Vaccines in the US, Wisconsin, and Walworth County.
The first doses of the vaccine rolled out last month and the first shots were given on December 14, 2020. States are in charge of placing new orders weekly. The anticipation of the vaccine and the expected quick administration of it brought hope to the world however it has been a slow start. Many states are struggling to administer at the same rate the vaccines are being shipped. Only about 3.4% of people in the US have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. As of January 14, 2021, Wisconsin has been allocated 607,650 doses of the vaccine, the number that has actually been shipped is only 373,100, not that it matters that they all haven’t been shipped yet due to the fact that only 195,152 have been administered. Why have they not been given out as soon as they come in? The effort to get everyone vaccinated is a major undertaking, according to the department of health services. It has been said that one reason for the slow pace of administering of the vaccine is that the federal government has been holding back millions of doses to ensure that those inoculated with the first of a two-dose process are able to get the second dose on time. With a consistent pace of production, the vaccine is expected to ship faster as the year wears on, allowing more to get the initial dose while doses can be shipped to states faster. Walworth County has fared better than other areas, as far as the Covid-19 cases are concerned. The number of active cases tends to hover around two hundred, with about ten patients or less in the hospital at any given time. Despite the vaccine becoming available, there is a plan in place about who should and will be given the vaccine first. Walworth county is still in phase 1A, focusing on frontline health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. As of Monday; fire, EMS, and police were added to this first phase. The next in line, phase 1B, includes public-facing essential workers, people over 70 years old, and workers and residents of congregate living settings. The last part of phase one, that’s 1-C, includes 16 through 24-year-olds with high risk, and adults over 65 years old. The phases to follow will be incorporated as the vaccine supply increases and recommendations on who gets the vaccine, and in what order, will be shared through media briefings and websites, including dhs.wi.gov. It is unclear how many doses of the vaccine have been given in Walworth County, but the Covid-19 vaccine is unlikely to be available to the general public until at least the spring of 2021.
