As COVID Testing Increases, Texas Volunteer Helps With Traffic Mgmt.
As COVID Testing Increases, Texas Volunteer Helps With Traffic Mgmt.
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
As COVID Testing Increases, Texas Volunteer Helps With Traffic Mgmt.A South Texas man who has been volunteering to mow the grass at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds this year also has been assisting with traffic management for the Bowen Center COVID-19 testing site.
“They need it and we need to keep the gates open,” Wayne Rink, who lives 20 miles north of McAllen, Texas, said Wednesday morning, adding that he does it as a way to give back.
The car at the end of the testing line at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday had a two-hour wait, he estimated. As vehicles pulled up into the testing line, Rink drove his utility vehicle to them and handed the driver an orange flyer that describes how to register.
“Most can figure it out how not to block the road,” he said, his cowboy hat keeping the bright sun out of his face. “Some do not, they’re just worried about the test.”
Rink said he comes up from Texas to be with his children and grandchildren. He stays in his motorhome that’s parked at the fairgrounds.
“They can use help with the mowing. Right now, it’s dried up so I have time to help (with the traffic control) during the day. I just try to give back a little bit,” he said.
The COVID-19 testing line on Tuesday was long. Rink said that was probably because Tuesdays offering testing in the evenings and it had been a three-day weekend due to Labor Day. Wednesday’s line was the shortest he had seen it since last week.
“Most of the people are great. No one wants to be here,” he said, noting how some people come from Rochester and Columbia City for the testing. “Some of them will mention where they’re from.”
During the weekly press conference on COVID-19, Bowen Center CEO and President Kurt Carlson said over the summer, the testing site hovered around 10 people a day. It escalated to around 160, and then on Tuesday it was up to 198.
“So you can see this dramatic escalation for testing,” Carlson said. “About 43% of the people showing up are symptomatic, and that’s something (Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator) Bob Weaver asked us to look at. We had not looked at that before.”
As for ages of those getting tested, Carlson said in the past those getting tested were older. Now, the greatest number of tests are for 11- to 20-year-olds, followed by 21- to 30-year olds.
“There’s a small handful of younger children, and then it just sort of drops off. So, in the past, most of our testing were older citizens, and now it’s the younger group,” Carlson said.
With the increase in testing, staffing for the testing site has been increased to continue to meet the need, he said.
“I want to say thank you to a couple of volunteers. Apparently, the fairgrounds has allowed a couple to be there and help the fairgrounds in exchange for the rent to park their RV. I don’t know what that arrangement is, but they’ve been helping us with traffic management,” Carlson said. “A complete volunteer. Very enthusiastic, very helpful.”
Carlson didn’t know Rink’s name as of Wednesday morning, but said he had to go out and shake his hand and thank him for volunteering.
“It’s really helped. I’m sure if you’ve been to the test site, you realize that traffic management is part of the whole scheme of things, and I appreciate that help,” Carlson said.
Official testing hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday, noon to 6 p.m.; and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a news release last week from the Bowen Center.
Kosciusko County Public Health Officer Dr. William Remington made a plea during the press conference for support of the testing site.
“Just one final plea regarding the Bowen Center, Kurt Carlson and the effort for testing,” he said. “They took on a bit of a lemon when we asked them to take on this state grant to do our testing. We just didn’t have the staffing at the Health Department to commit to the expectations of testing. And here we are again, really needing it, and flocking to it.”
Remington said the testing site is underfunded.
“We could use benevolence. And here’s a specific request. If any of you out there have the opportunity to be benevolent or a connection to a foundation or some entity, help us pay the rent to use the fairgrounds. It’s been a great venue. It’s achievable for many people in our county to get to the fairgrounds, they know where it is. We have a rent check due every month there. We could use some help with that,” he said.
Anyone who is able to assist can reach out to the Health Department, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer or Carlson at the Bowen Center.
“We would greatly appreciate it. Thank you,” Remington concluded.
