Over the past two months, the City of Winchester has participated in the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s new Health Equity Pilot Program. The program provided staff training, personal protective equipment (PPE) and public health information for distribution in underserved and vulnerable areas in Winchester, especially in areas in need and at risk of contracting COVID-19.
“We are so grateful for the opportunity to distribute these much needed materials throughout the city,” stated Scott Kensinger, Emergency Management Coordinator. “It took a lot of staff hours to bag and deliver the materials, but it’s worth it as we hope the effort helps to continue slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our area.”
Governor Ralph Northam announced the formation of the Health Equity Pilot Program on May 11, 2020. The Health Equity Task Force used a data-driven approach to identify communities across the Commonwealth that would benefit from receiving the materials. Eligible communities were identified using indicators such as chronic diseases, household income, age, disability status, and other important health factors. More than 40 localities, including Winchester, were selected for the pilot program.
The City of Winchester distributed hand sanitizer, cloth masks and health safety information in English and Spanish to the below locations/events:
| Date | Event/Entity | # Masks | # Sanitizer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/15/20 | VDH Flu Shot Fair | 468 | 468 | 117 Family Packs |
| 9/16/20 | Grafton | 92 | 92 | 23 Family Packs |
| 9/16/20 | Migrant Camp | 240 | 240 | Single Packs, Seasonal worker canvas |
| 9/29/20 | Rescue Mission | 225 | 225 | Single Packs |
| 9/29/20 | WinTran | 75 | 75 | 75 Single Packs |
| 10/2/20 | United Way NSV | 75 | 75 | 75 Single Packs for door-to-door canvasing |
| 10/2/20 | Adult Care Center | 20 | 0 | Family Packs, Masks |
| 10/6/20 | WPS - Garland A. Quarles ES | 1,492 | 1,492 | 373 Family Packs sent home with every student |
| 10/6/20 | WPS - VA Ave Charlotte DeHart ES | 1.520 | 1,520 | 380 Family Packs sent home with every student |
| 10/6/20 | WPS - John Kerr ES | 2.028 | 2,028 | 507 Family Packs sent home with every student |
| 10/6/20 | WPS - Frederick Douglas ES, Daniel Morgan & JHHS | 2,850 | 2,850 | Single Packs given to each student |
| 10/8/20 | VDH Flu Shot Fair | 158 | 158 | 150 Single Packs, 2 Family Packs, 100 Single Packs |
| 10/15/20 | Aids Response Effort Health Fair | 100 | 100 | 100 Single Packs |
| 10/15/20 | C-CAP | 705 | 705 | 120 Family Packs, 225 Single Packs |
| 10/15/20 | Kids Club | 300 | 0 | 100 Family Packs, Masks |
WPS=Winchester Public Schools, VDH=Virginia Department of Health
