Robertson Co. News

The Robertson County Health Department is offering Free COVID-19 vaccinations for Farmworkers.  For groups of 6 or more, the Health Department will come to your farm to administer the shots. Anyone 16 and older will qualify for the free vaccination with no ID required. When farmworkers receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the nurses will give them the date when they will be back to the farm for the second dose.

Guilford Maine based Puritan Medical Products will receive more than $146 million from the Department of Defense to open up a new production facility in Orlinda. Puritan makes single-use products for healthcare and other industries. Their government contract is  to increase domestic production capability of foam tip swabs used in critical COVID-19 diagnostic tests and will increase the company’s total production capacity to 250 million foam tip swabs per month in Orlinda.

You’re invited to participate in Springfield’s Community Cleanup on Saturday, April 24th, from 9 a.m. to noon at various locations throughout the city. The Tennessee Valley Authority will provide all volunteer supplies including safety vests, bags, and gloves along with water to stay hydrated. Volunteering is easy and online at springfieldtn.gov.

The Tennessee Department of Health joins departments around the country in pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.  The decision comes after the CDC and FDA said they were investigating a half dozen reports of a rare type of blood clot developing after taking the vaccine.  Both agencies say this is a temporary pause.  Officials say the state is working to ensure people looking for the vaccine have the Pfizer or Moderna shots available to them.

Governor Bill Lee has introduced a budget amendment for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year that includes tax cuts and a two-week sales tax holiday on groceries, prepared food and at restaurants.  The governor says the moves will help boost the local economy.  The funding for the proposals will come from a 580-million-dollar fund for what the governor’s office calls “strategic long-term projects that focus on a return to pre-pandemic priorities.”