NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS: The Department of Community & Economic Development is issuing a report on the grants dispersed by the county to local small businesses.

As of January 2022, Northampton County had distributed $10.7 million in CARES Act money to 767 businesses. County Council allocated $15 million in American Rescue Plan funds to this program in June 2021. So far, $12 million in ARP monies has been dispersed to 802 businesses, with approximately $3 million still available for future grants.

Recipients have included restaurants, gyms, florists, dance studios, hair salons and retail stores across all municipalities.

Applications are still being accepted and can be found on the DCED and at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce websites.

COUNTY PRISON: The Director of Corrections reports that, as of Jan. 24, there were 36 cases of COVID-19 among inmates at Northampton County Prison (NCP). Since the start of the pandemic, 423 inmates have tested positive; 387 have finished their quarantine periods or are no longer at NCP. Six Department of Corrections employees are currently in quarantine after testing positive for the virus.

Currently, 298 inmates in the facility are fully vaccinated and 78 inmates have received boosters. Shots for inmates and staff are administered by PrimeCare Medical. The vaccinations are not compulsory and are only provided to those who request them.

There are currently 625 inmates in residence at NCP.

VACCINATION & TESTING: A COVID-19 drive-through vaccination clinic and testing site is open at 3100 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem Township. Hours of operation are Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and Tuesday/Thursday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. The drive-through 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.

A physician’s order is not required to be tested. The drive-through site is open to everyone, but only residents of Northampton County will receive a free test if they do not have health coverage. All testing will be through HNL Lab Medicine unless insurance requires an alternate laboratory. Participants should bring a photo ID and their insurance card, if they have one, with them to the testing site.

To make an appointment for a vaccine at the COVID-19 drive-thru testing site use one of the following options:

1. Schedule at the LVHN website at LVHN.org/appointment.

2. Schedule on the MyLVHN patient portal, at MyLVHN.org.

3. Call 833-584-6283

LEHIGH VALLEY

SECOND BOOSTER SHOT: People who are immunocompromised and have received both doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines AND have also received a third primary vaccine dose 28 days (or longer) after completing the vaccine series are eligible to receive a booster shot five months after the third shot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the booster dose is intended to help enhance or restore protection against COVID-19 which may have decreased over time.

Individuals who received a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine should receive a booster (preferably Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) two months after the initial one-shot J&J vaccination. They should only receive an additional dose of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine if they are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine booster (for example, patients with allergies to a component of the mRNA vaccines).

For more vaccination information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.