BETHLEHEM

ADDITIONAL VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS: Due to an additional shipment of Pfizer vaccine, the Bethlehem Health Bureau is added appointments for first doses to their clinic on Friday, Feb. 26. More appointments will be released Thursday morning, March 4. Please visit our website www.bethlehem-pa.gov and click on the COVID-19 tab to schedule an appointment. A small number of phone call appointments will be available by calling 610-865-7083. Phone appointments are only for individuals from the City of Bethlehem and Northampton County who are 65 years of age and lack internet or computer access. Please do not call before 8:00 a.m. on Thursday as no appointments will be taken before that time. Additional appointments will be released on Friday for the following week’s clinics if vaccine supply allows.

COVID TESTING SITE: A COVID-19 drive-through testing site is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at 3100 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem Township. The testing center is located in the parking area to the rear of the Coordinated Health building and is separate from patient parking and routine patient care.

To be eligible for testing, individuals must report or display one or more CDC-recognized symptoms of COVID-19: fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or loss of taste and/or smell. Northampton County residents will receive a free test if they do not have health coverage.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

GRACEDALE: Gracedale concluded the last of its vaccination clinics recently. Staff and residents began receiving the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 in December. At this time, 87 percent of residents and 48 percent of staff have received two doses of the vaccine. Ten County employees (3 percent) have received one shot and twenty-one volunteers have received two doses. For comparison, the CDC national average for vaccination rates in long-term-care facilities is 38 percent for staff and 78 percent for residents.

Since the beginning of the outbreak in March, 154 employees at Gracedale have tested positive for COVID-19. One is currently in quarantine; 153 finished their quarantine periods and are back at work. Currently, there is only one positive case of COVID-19 among the residents. Since the start of the pandemic, 419 residents have tested positive for the virus and 96 have died.

Gracedale began administering a monoclonal antibody treatment for residents affected by COVID-19 in February. So far, five residents have received the treatment at the facility.

LEHIGH VALLEY

AUTO SHOW CANCELED: The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association was recently informed by Lehigh University that the university will not allow outside events to be held on campus this spring, thereby canceling the rescheduled 2021 auto show. Lehigh had previously postponed the show from its originally scheduled dates in March to May 12 to 16.

In its place, the auto dealers will present an expanded virtual auto show. It will begin with a 30-minute television program created by WFMZ-TV featuring videos supplied by the manufacturers. These will be coupled with local dealer interviews highlighting the new 2021 vehicles and products available on dealers’ lots. The program will air during the second week in May and will be broadcast multiple times.

The 30-minute program will be followed by a web-based buyers’ guide that will be available on both the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association website: glvada.org; and WFMZ-TV’s website: wfmz.com. The buyers guide will feature shorter videos by local dealers highlighting vehicles in individual market segments, e.g. compact SUVs, sports cars, sedans, so that buyers can still compare and contrast vehicles by different manufacturers.

WALK FOR LIFE: This year, due to continued COVID-19 restrictions, The Lehigh Valley Walk for Life sponsored by Bright Hope Pregnancu Support Centers will be both in-person and virtual on Saturday, May 1 at 9 a.m.

The in-person Walk for Life will take place at The Bethlehem Township Community Center at Pavilion 1. Attendance to the in-person walk is capped at 125 people and you must register in advance. Masks will be required.

The 40th anniversary Walk for Life fundraising goal is $40,000. The funds raised will go toward supporting our ongoing client services in the clinics, including pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI testing, prenatal vitamins, as well as virtual and in-person ongoing education classes on pregnancy, parenting, healthy relationships and life skills.

To join the40th anniversary Lehigh Valley Walk for Life, register by clicking this link https://secure.ministrysync.com/ministrysync/event/?e=21362 or calling 610-821-4000 and ask for Amity.

CORONER’S REPORT: Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 23, the Northampton County Coroner recorded 122 COVID-19 related deaths in Northampton County (102 residents/20 non-residents). As of Jan. 10, the Lehigh County Coroner reported 13 deaths of Northampton County residents. Between the two counties, 115 deaths of Northampton County residents from COVID19 have been reported this year.

In 2020, the Northampton County Coroner reported 403 COVID-19 related deaths (359 residents and 44 non-residents).The Lehigh County Coroner reported 118 deaths in 2020 for a total of 477 COVID-19-related deaths for Northampton County residents.