By Lindley Lund
USD 475
GEARY COUNTY, Kan. – When the pandemic initially struck Kansas in March of 2020, the Geary County Health Department and Geary County Schools began the years-long collaboration to fight COVID-19 within the community.
The initial response was immediate, with Geary County Schools becoming one of the first districts in the state to stop in-person learning, according to Geary County Health Department Interim Director Charles Martinez.
“The Kansas Department of Health and Environment [KDHE] has said this helped prevent the spread so quickly over here,” Martinez said. “That gave more time for the hospital to prepare to accept patients.”
Since the beginning, now almost two years ago, the health department and district have continued to work together, communicating on a regular basis to continue to find ways to combat COVID-19, including vaccination clinics. With these clinics, hundreds of district staff and students were able to receive vaccines.
“We are somewhat leading the charge in the state as far as how it should be done and how it’s been done,” Geary County Schools COVID-19 Response Coordinator Richard Rook said when referencing his conversations with KDHE representatives. “I think the district has done a great job with the help of the health department. I don’t think we’d be where we are without that collaboration.”
The health department and district plan to continue to work together to do whatever is necessary to protect the people of Geary County. Martinez and Rook encourage community members to wear masks, receive the COVID-19 vaccine and stay home if they are not feeling well.
“As long as it’s here we’ve got to keep working together,” Rook said. “The overall goal is to keep these doors open and these kids safe, and I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that.”