Speak Out!

Posted 2/2/21

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Speak Out!

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Speak Out is a reader response column. Comments may be posted on the newspaper’s website or Facebook pages, emailed to okeenews@newszap.com or mailed to the newspaper office, 107 S.W. 17th St., Suite D, Okeechobee, FL 34974.

Vaccinations
• “Now the new administration has finally gotten to see the vaccine data in D.C., it turns out there never was a distribution plan other than to tell the states to do it, there is a lot less vaccine in the so-called reserve and the whole thing is a giant mess. But at least moving forward, they will follow the science and be more transparent. Now Florida has finally started a statewide registration system with a waiting list. That’s a start.” – M. Smith

• “Ridiculous to not make appointments!” – Melisa Sheppard

• “You would think someone would’ve thought about the mad rush, before they started distributing the vaccine.” – Anthony Johns

• “300 doses a week for Okeechobee County....great, it will only take another couple of years to vaccinate the entire county population...” – Andrew Tomlin

• “Thank you Okeechobee Commissioners for standing up for our seniors! Obviously there are guidelines that have to be followed, nobody assumed there weren’t. Florida has many counties that have successfully set up a process that is not causing our seniors to feel the need to “‘camp out’ to register for a vaccine. Reach out to surrounding county DOH offices where the process is successful for some advice. I would volunteer to help as I’m sure many in our community would.” – Brenda Scott-Adams

• “Why not allow pre-qualification and get on the waiting list as vaccines become available? It would lower the burden and hopefully the folks wouldn’t stand in line for the overnight hours.” – Jeff Saunders

• “Our senior citizens can’t do the online appointments. They aren’t computer savvy, there needs to be a better way.” – Vickie King

• “It isn’t the people who are to blame .. it’s the plan itself! There are 67 counties in Florida going through this same process as we speak, which means we MUST have a few examples of counties that are doing it right. Check them out! Do the right thing.” – Jerry Mayernik

• “Florida received 307,000 vaccines. If you divided that by 67 counties, each county should receive 5,482 If they held back 2nd doses that’s still over 2500 vaccines. ONCE AGAIN, Are rural counties being treated fairly. I would say definitely not.” – Ruby Budovsky

• “Glad to see the mayors of Belle Glade, South Bay and Pahokee are standing up for their citizens and demanding local vaccination clinics instead of only having appointments 30 miles away at Publix. When you don’t have internet access to make an appointment and you don’t have transportation besides walking or a bicycle, it’s a little hard to make an appointment in another city and then get there on time. Keep fighting for the people of the Glades!” – Anonymous

• “Veterans should know they may be able to get COVID-19 vaccinations at the VA hospital. If you are a VA hospital patient, ask about the vaccinations.” – S. Jones

• “Once again the poor, rural communities are short-changed while the wealthy people on the coast not only get the bulk of the vaccine supply but also come over into our communities to get vaccinations and take part of our supply as well, taking spots that should have gone to local residents. The vaccine supply for the little counties with less than 50,000 population should be reserved for residents of those counties only. Maybe with the new state system, those making the appointments will give the appointments in Okeechobee, Hendry or Glades Counties only to residents of those counties.” – Anonymous

Bring in the pets
• “As the temperatures drop, don’t leave your pets out in the cold. They may have fur, but they can’t grow a winter coat overnight. They feel the cold as much as you do. Show some compassion and bring them inside, or at least make sure they have a doghouse or box that is filled with straw or warm blankets.” – S. Jones

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