The Marion County Board of Supervisors and local community leaders including PACE Alliance Executive Director, Karen Eischen, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director, Hannah Vander Veer, Knoxville Hospital and Clinics CEO, Kevin Kincaid, Marion County Attorney, Ed Bull, Marion County Treasurer, Michaela Bigaouette, and Knoxville Fire Chief Cal Wyman and Pella Ambulance Director Greg Higginbotham held a press conference Monday updating the residents of Marion County on the current COVID-19 situation. Each individual shared with residents how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting their department as well as what they were doing to keep people safe. Chief Cal Wyman with Knoxville Fire and Rescue and Pella Ambulance Director Greg Higginbotham discussed what their departments had done to prepare for the crises. Chief Wyman explains that the county will be able to have a quick response time to any call involving COVID-19 because of the establishment of four ambulances dedicated to the COVID-19 response with protective equipment to help keep the responders and patients safe. According to Chief Wyman the four ambulances are staged throughout the county in Knoxville, Pella, Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas. According to Marion County officials, there is still no confirmed case of COVID-19 in Marion County. Marion County will continue to hold informative press conferences Mondays and Fridays for the foreseeable future with the next scheduled for Friday March 27th at 1 p.m. Each press conference will be aired live on 92.1 KRLS and 95.3 KNIA and reaird at 6 p.m.
Full conference video: