HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — The Madison County Commission presented $25,000 to the Huntsville Hospital Health System on Thursday to help with ongoing equipment and supply needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Madison County Commission Chairman Dale W. Strong approved the funding at Wednesday's commission meeting. The funds were allocated to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation Emergency Assistance Fund to be spent on personal protection equipment.
The purchased equipment is to be used by employees and patients at Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children and Madison Hospital.
"Protecting our residents and front-line healthcare workers throughout Madison County from COVID-19 remains a top priority,” said Strong. “Madison County is proud to partner with Huntsville Hospital and their Foundation in working together to ensure the safety and protection of this community both today and in the days ahead. It’s my hope these funds will help to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Madison County.”
To find out more about the fund, visit the Huntsville Hospital Foundation's website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified several ways you can help protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19, including the following:
- Wearing a mask or face covering over your mouth and nose
- Staying 6 feet apart from people not in your household
- Avoiding crowds
- Avoiding poorly ventilated indoor spaces
- Washing your hands frequently using soap and water or hand sanitizer if soap and water isn’t available.
Even with vaccines being introduced to communities, it’s important to remain vigilant. The CDC says that not enough information is currently available to say when it will be recommended that people no longer need to wear masks and take precautions.
For more information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website.
According to the CDC, if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should undergo a 14-day quarantine. The CDC said the following are considered close contact:
- Having been within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 or more minutes
- Having provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
- Had direct physical contact with a person with COVID-19
- Shared eating or drinking utensils with someone with COVID-19
- A person with COVID-19 sneezed, coughed or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, the CDC recommends watching for symptoms of COVID-19 and staying away from others.
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