With lower COVID-19 case numbers across the county and state, and following direction from the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services, the Audrain County Health Department (ACHD) began in-person women, infant and children’s (WIC) appointments this week.

“We are looking forward to returning to the in-person visits,” stated WIC coordinator and registered nurse Becky Wieberg. “We’ve missed seeing our program participants in person the past year.”

Following direction from the state and federal WIC program, the ACHD suspended in-person visits to the health department in March of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clients were contacted remotely the day before their appointment and then were allowed to come to a walk-up window to have their benefit cards reloaded.

“We are asking program participants to continue to respect social distancing measures and all those coming to the ACHD for their in-person appointment will be required to wear a mask while in the building at their appointment,” stated ACHD administrator and CEO Craig Brace. “The virus is still a real threat to the unvaccinated and, we want to protect not only those coming for their appointments but also our staff that meet with them.”

If WIC participants do not have a mask readily available to them, the ACHD will have cloth masks available for them that are provided by the state WIC office.

Also, ACHD representatives are asking only those that have an in-person appointment come into the building shortly before their appointment.

“This will help decrease the number of people in the building at once and will help with being able to social distance,” Wieberg said. “We will also be checking temperatures at the front desk when someone does come in and will have hand sanitizer available at the front door when they first enter the building.”

Regular, in-person WIC appointment dates are every Tuesday at the ACHD in Mexico and every second Thursday of the month at the Lange Building in Vandalia.