TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Taylor County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve funding to help the county's health department staff their COVID-19 vaccine hotlines.
Thomas Demps, Chairman of the Taylor County Board of County Commissioners from District 5 told ABC 27 that the health department was approved for up to $10,000 but they might go up to $15,000.
The funding will be coming from the county's CARES Act money, Demps confirmed to ABC 27.
The Taylor County health department requested $7,500 from the commission to help staff the phone lines in order to help move vaccines within the county said Jamie English, a Taylor County commissioner from District 1.
"They proposed to us that it was gonna be somewhere around $7,500, but we put the parameters at $10,000 just for a month," said English. "And, if it needed to be extended an additional month we would approve the funding necessary to make it happen to move this process along."
English also said that the health department was having trouble keeping up with all of the calls that had been coming in. That's where the money comes into play.
"[The money] pays for the additional staff to man the phones, be able to take the calls. They feel like they are missing calls right now because the phone system can't keep up with the calls that are coming in," said English. "They are adding additional staff to be able to make sure they don't miss these calls and can accommodate everyone."
If the health department only uses the $7,500 and not the full $10,000, they can still ask for a month extension to the funds from the BOCC and both English and Demps said they would approve it.
