By Rich Larson, News Director
Rice County Director of Public Health Deb Purfeerst said that while the Covid-19 vaccination rollout is starting slowly, that is not a surprise, and she 
expects things to speed up in time.
State and Federal vaccination guidelines mandate the first group of people to be vaccinated are health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Purfeerst said within that group there are more prioritized people. The County received its first shipment of vaccine just before Christmas and has begun to vaccinate Emergency Medical Service Providers, County Covid testers and Covid vaccinators. She is hoping that group will be vaccinated by the end of the week, but it depends on how much vaccine is at the county’s disposal.
“We don’t have any type of schedule or indication of when the vaccine will come to us. I expect there will be probably a week’s notice of when it will be coming. So, we’re waiting just like everybody else to know when the vaccine will arrive at our doorstep.
Public Health is just receiving a portion of that. The great bulk of the vaccine that has already been shipped out in Minnesota would have gone to hospital settings and, of course, the federal government did have contracts with large pharmacies to vaccinate the skilled nursing facilities.”
Purfeerst said the county has received about 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Pointing out the rollout is dependent on manufacturing capabilities, she said she is not surprised at the relatively small amount the county has received.
“We did here early on that it would be somewhat slow to begin with, because, of course, the vaccine needs to be produced and distributed still. So, it’s not a surprise that the initial rollout of the number of doses are more limited. If I could predict six months from now, we will have plenty of vaccine for everybody who wishes to be vaccinated.”
Despite the slow start to the program, Purfeerst said there are plans in place to get vaccine to the general public after the Priority 1-A group is done. Estimates are that it could be the end of February before that is accomplished, but Purfeerst said that with a little patience, things will start to pick up.
“It will speed up. It’s just a little bit of a delay now, and we did know that. Right now, those initial doses are being given, for the most part, in closed settings, which is hospitals and long-term care facilities. Later, there will be vaccinations done at community sites, and it will be more widely available at a health care provider’s office, a pharmacy or more globally through local public health departments.”
Purfeerst also said that she has seen “overwhelming excitement” for the vaccine, and for those still deciding whether to be vaccinated, Purfeerst said she hopes people will make informed choices, educate themselves on the science of vaccination and are mindful of where they receive their information.
“Vaccination is the bright light of 2021. It’s the strongest tool we have to get us through the pandemic, and it’s the thing that is going to get us back to life the way it was.”
City Council will convene Tuesday night with two new members
The Northfield City Council will hold its first meeting of 2021 tomorrow night. The top item on the agenda will be the swearing in of the two new councilors, Dr. Jami Reister, representing Ward 2 and George Zuccolotto, representing Ward 3.
Another matter before the council will be the second reading of the zoning request made by St. Olaf College for the Ole Avenue Housing Project. The first reading passed by a 6-1 vote at the December 2nd council meeting, and the second reading is expected to pass as well. What is in question is the Conditional Use Permit the school has requested. The Northfield Planning Commission has recommended that the council issue that permit, but only if changes are made to the number of parking spaces the plan calls for, calling the number excessive. The school has responded by saying the plan only adds an additional 25 parking stalls.
In all matters the City Council requests comments and feedback from the Northfield public. The best way to make a comment is through the eComment button on the City’s website. Click here to go to the eComment area.
Northfield Golf Club goes private, effective for 2021
And the Northfield Golf Club has announced that it will transition from a semi-private club to a fully private one effective for the 2021 season. 
In a statement, the Golf Club said the board directors made the decision to best accommodate the “frequent play and invested interests of the members.”
Club Board president Todd Bogart said “Private status delivers and confirms the ongoing value of the Northfield Golf Club membership. We are confident the club is on the correct path for the future.”
Northfield Golf Club has operated as a semi-private club for 95 years.
