Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 03/18/2021 11:00 AM EDT

Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted his most recent online town hall forum regarding COVID-19 on Wednesday, updating residents about the pandemic, the County’s response and vaccine distribution, among other topics, while answering their questions.

The event is available to view on-demand on the County’s YouTube page, which includes an archive of the more than 60 other online conversations County Executive Molinaro has hosted since March 2020.

Among the highlights of Wednesday’s conversation:

• County Executive Molinaro recapped his 2021 State of the County address, which was released on Tuesday, March 16th via the County’s website and Facebook and Twitter pages. The County Executive’s annual message reflected on the challenges of the past year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and looked ahead into 2021 with continued commitment to working together to make Dutchess County a freer, fairer and healthier community for all.
• County Executive Molinaro updated residents on the most current data, as of Wednesday, available on the Dutchess County COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard:
  • 575,903 tests completed to date
  • 24,039 confirmed cases to date
  • 1,127 current active cases 
  • 41.51 new cases per 100,000 population
  • 50 Current hospitalizations
  • 418 deaths to date 
  • Positivity Rate for Dutchess County (7-day rolling avg.): 4.71% (as of March 15)
• Dutchess County vaccine metrics (as of March 15) have also been added to the Dashboard that reflects data published on the State’s Vaccine Tracker:
  • 65,241 Dutchess residents with at least one dose of the vaccine
  • 22.17% of total population with one dose
  • 29,545 residents completed vaccine series
  • 10.04% of total population with complete vaccine series
• This week, 3,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to providers throughout Dutchess County by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), County Executive Molinaro said. Allocations include:
  • The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) is slated to receive 1,500 doses of Moderna vaccine and 500 doses of Johnson & Johnson from New York State to vaccinate eligible groups at the County’s Poughkeepsie and Dover Point of Dispensing (POD) sites, by appointment only.
  • Additionally, the County continues to host pop-up vaccination sites with upcoming sites in Beacon next week, followed by sites in Pine Plains and Hyde Park.
  • Dutchess County also continues to partner with area primary care providers to vaccinate homebound and medically frail senior citizens.
  • Additional doses have been allocated by New York State to hospitals and pharmacies in Dutchess County. Updates about these vaccine allocations are posted at dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine.
• County Executive Molinaro reminded residents that the County has expanded access to its vaccination clinics to restaurant and food pantry workers, taxi drivers, and public-facing hotel employees. Employers looking to vaccinate their personnel are encouraged to reach out via email to vaccineappointments@dutchessny.gov for more information.
• Last week, the State announced new eligible priority groups, including:
  • Those who are 60 and older
  • Public-facing government and public employees
  • Non-profit workers who provide public-facing services
  • Essential, in-person, public-facing building service workers
• The State also announced all vaccine providers can vaccinate any eligible group beginning this week, except pharmacies, which will still be required to prioritize those who are 60 and older but will be able to vaccinate teachers per Federal guidance.
• Additionally, for residents who are eligible due to an underlying health condition, the County’s vaccination sites are now accepting self-certification as proof of eligibility. Residents can now print and sign the new Dutchess County COVID-19 Vaccine Certification of Eligibility form and bring it with them to their vaccine appointment.
• The County’s Vaccine Outreach Coalition held its first meeting last week to ensure equitable distribution of vaccine doses throughout the county. And, thanks to a collaboration with area libraries, residents can now call any library in Dutchess County for assistance with signing up for the County’s Vaccination Information Request Form.
• Residents who have already been vaccinated and who completed the Dutchess County Vaccination Information Request Form can remove themselves from the County’s list by completing the form at dutchessny.gov/GotMyVaccine to help expedite notification about appointments available at County sites to others waiting to be vaccinated. Individuals will still receive weekly updates to share with loved ones still waiting for their shot.
• The Dutchess County Parks Division will host a “Sap Happy Maple Weekend” with tasty, educational, and fun events for all ages, in collaboration with the Office for the Aging, Poughkeepsie Public Library, and Farmers and Chefs restaurant, from Friday, March 26 through Monday, March 29 at Bowdoin Park, located at 85 Sheafe Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Learn more and register for events at dutchessny.gov/parks.

County Executive Molinaro will host his next Telephone and Facebook Live Town Hall on Wednesday, March 24th at 5:30pm. Residents can dial 845-765-7121 to listen and ask their questions or watch live on the County’s Facebook page.

As of today, New York has administered seven million vaccine shots to eligible New Yorkers, which is great progress. Earlier today, I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Mount Neboh Baptist Church vaccination site to help spread a key message that all the vaccines work, all of them are safe and New Yorkers should take whatever vaccine they can as soon as they can. We will continue to move our vaccination progress forward as fast as supply allows but as soon as you are eligible, get any of the three vaccines—they are safe and effective. Protect yourself and your family. 

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 4,624. Of the 263,401 tests reported yesterday, 8,976, or 3.41 percent, were positive. There were 954 patients in ICU yesterday, up 11 from the previous day. Of them, 601 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 54 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. As of 11am this morning, 23.5 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 148,564 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 7,003,834 total doses with 12.2 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State’s Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker. 

3. Appointments are now available at ten new state-run mass vaccination sites across the state. All ten sites will open on Friday, March 19, and will operate from 8:00am to 7:00pm daily. Each site will have the ability to vaccinate more than one thousand New Yorkers daily dependent on supply from the federal government. Appointments at the sites located in New York City, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Capital Region, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and Western New York regions available for booking today at ny.gov/GetVaccinated or by calling the NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). 

4. Indoor fitness classes can resume at limited capacity on March 22. Indoor fitness classes can begin reopening statewide at 33 percent capacity with health screening and contact information required at sign-in. Classes should be scheduled to allow additional time for cleaning and disinfection between sessions. Local health departments shall inspect before or within 2 weeks of the fitness center opening to ensure compliance.

5. Beginning April 5, the 11pm curfew currently in place for casinos, movie theaters, bowling alleys, billiards halls, gyms and fitness centers will be lifted. The 11pm curfew for food and beverage establishments and the midnight curfew for catered events will remain in effect. Both curfews will be re-evaluated in late April. 

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: When a lost bulldog found its way onto train tracks, two LIRR employees jumped to his rescue. Dog owner Mike Francow was eating his lunch in East Hampton, NY, when his 8-year-old English bulldog Sampson ran away onto nearby train tracks. Thankfully, LIRR engineer Christian Beck saw the lost dog in time to slow down the train to protect the canine. Along with assistant conductor Vinny Fragale, the two lured Sampson onto their train and were able to reunite the bulldog with his owner. Great work by our LIRR team. 

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Today I was happy to announce three new mass vaccination sites are coming to Long Island. The sites, located in Brentwood, Old Westbury and Southampton, will open this Friday, March 19. All three sites will have the ability to vaccinate more than one thousand New Yorkers daily dependent on supply from the federal government. Appointments become available for booking Wednesday, March 17, at 8:00am and can be made through the Am I Eligible Tool or by calling the NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). New York will continue to expand our distribution network and vaccinate more New Yorkers as supply ramps up further.  

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations rose slightly to 4,517. Of the 127,005 tests reported yesterday, 5,807, or 4.57 percent, were positive. There were 923 patients in ICU yesterday, down four from the previous day. Of them, 614 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 58 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. As of 11am this morning, 22.5 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 122,778 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 6,699,848 total doses with 11.6 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State’s Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker. 

3. The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will return this year on Memorial Day weekend. The outdoor show, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, features a range of military and civilian aerial performers. This year’s show will be a ticketed event, with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place to ensure a safe return of the patriotic Long Island tradition.

4. Wedding receptions and catered events can now resume statewide at limited capacity. All venues hosting weddings and catered events must follow the State’s health and safety protocols. More information on the industry guidelines can be found here. 

5. Excelsior Pass is coming soon. Earlier this month, New York announced a pilot program with Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center to test Excelsior Pass—a free, fast and secure way to present digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results at businesses or venues. New York is now testing Excelsior Pass with select “Beta” participants. If you are interested in being a “Beta” tester and helping New York safely reopen, fill out this screening form and you may be selected to be among the first to get a look at Excelsior Pass. 

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: A missing baby kangaroo was safely returned home thanks to a community coming together. Stokoe Farms in Scottsville, NY, is known for Christmas trees and pumpkin patches but also cares for kangaroos. One of their young kangaroos (or joeys), Kaia, recently escaped her handler, but thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers who organized a search, the joey was found and returned safely to the farm’s care.   

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 03/12/2021 02:00 PM EST

Poughkeepsie, NY … Today marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic arriving in Dutchess County and, during this week’s virtual town hall, County Executive Marc Molinaro reflected on the events that occurred one year ago that started the County’s response, as well as how the county, state, and nation have been impacted by these unprecedented times:

• March 9, 2020 – County Executive Molinaro issued a statement that Dutchess County Government was preparing for the emerging situation following the first confirmed case in Ulster County who had connections in Dutchess County.
• March 12, 2020 – The first confirmed case in Dutchess County was announced.
• March 13, 2020 – County Executive Molinaro issued a State of Emergency, suspending large gatherings and closing schools ahead of the State’s order.
• March 18, 2020 – County Executive Molinaro hosted his first Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall.
• March 20, 2020 – Sadly, the first Dutchess County resident succumbed to the COVID-19 virus. Since then, over 400 individuals have died due to COVID-19 in Dutchess County, with the national death toll well over 500,000.

Under the calm, consistent, capable leadership of County Executive Molinaro, Dutchess County has been a frontrunner in responding to the pandemic. From becoming a local resource for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during supply shortages and helping local businesses operate safely, to assisting those isolated and alone receive food and medications through the Dutchess Responds initiative, thousands of County employees and volunteers worked together to ensure residents’ safety and assist those in need. Watch the video online.

During this week’s online town hall forum, the County Executive’s 60th since the pandemic began, County Executive Molinaro shared updates on the County’s progress to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines and answered residents’ questions. The event is available to view on-demand on the County’s YouTube page.

Among the highlights of the conversation:

• County Executive Molinaro updated residents on the most current data, as of Wednesday, available on the Dutchess County COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard:
  • 556,773 tests completed to date
  • 23,184 confirmed cases to date
  • 1,195 current active cases 
  • 35.3 new cases per 100,000 population
  • 47 Current hospitalizations
  • 415 deaths to date 
  • Positivity Rate Dutchess County (7-day rolling avg.): 4.12% (as of March 8)
• Nearly 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to providers throughout Dutchess County this week by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), County Executive Molinaro said. Allocations include:
  • The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) is slated to receive 1,200 doses of Moderna vaccine from New York State to vaccinate those over 60 years old, individuals with health conditions, and essential workers at the County’s Poughkeepsie and Dover Point of Dispensing (POD) sites, by appointment only.
  • Additionally, the County hosted a pop-up vaccination site at John Jay High School in East Fishkill on Wednesday, distributing additional Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine received from New York State. This will be the first of several pop-up sites hosted throughout the county. Upcoming pop-up sites will be offered, including one in Beacon next week, and sites in Pine Plains and Red Hook are being finalized.
  • The Dutchess County Office for the Aging (OFA) has called seniors age 65 and older to attend a clinic at the Community at Brookmeade in Rhinebeck on March 15th in partnership with Rite Aid.
  • Dutchess County also continues to partner with area primary care providers to vaccinate homebound and medically frail senior citizens.
  • Additional doses have been allocated by New York State to hospitals and pharmacies in Dutchess County. Updates about these vaccine allocations and appointment availability are posted at dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine. Many of these locations already have waiting lists.
• According to New York State, 19.8 percent of Dutchess County residents have received at least their first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine; the statewide average is 20.9 percent. In all, the state reported 58,025 Dutchess County residents have received at least their first shot and 26,497 had received their second shot.
• County Executive Molinaro announced the County is expanding access to its vaccination clinics to restaurant workers (including food pantry workers), taxi drivers, and public-facing hotel employees. Additionally, the State recently announced new eligible priority groups, including: those who are 60 and older and, beginning March 17th, public-facing government and public employees; nonprofit workers who provide public-facing services; and essential, in-person, public-facing building service workers. The State also announced all vaccine providers can vaccinate any eligible group beginning March 17th, except pharmacies, which will still be required to prioritize those who are 60 and older but will be able to vaccinate teachers per Federal guidance.
• Residents who have already been vaccinated and who completed the Dutchess County Vaccination Information Request Form are asked to remove themselves from the County’s waitlist for an appointment by completing the form at dutchessny.gov/GotMyVaccine. Individuals will still receive weekly updates to share with loved ones still waiting for their shot.
• County Executive Molinaro will present his State of the County Address virtually on Tuesday, March 16th. Residents can watch the presentation at www.dutchessny.gov, as well as the County’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

Seniors who would like assistance in obtaining a Vaccination Appointment should contact this agency for assistance. For further information please call 845-605-2562.

Our vaccination sites across the state are working diligently to administer the vaccine as fast as supply allows and we’re continuing to make progress in our vaccination efforts. In the past seven days, more than 1.12 million doses have been administered and as of this morning, New Yorkers who are 60 and up can schedule an appointment. As our vaccination efforts continue, we cannot afford to loosen up our vigilance against this virus. New Yorkers should remain careful and patient as we stay laser-focused on getting more shots in arms.  

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 4,798. Of the 205,616 tests reported yesterday, 6,489, or 3.16 percent, were positive. There were 999 patients in ICU yesterday, down 12 from the previous day. Of them, 686 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 58 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. As of 11am this morning, 19.9 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 143,592 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 5,941,072 total doses with 9.8 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State’s Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker. 

3. Indoor dining in New York City can expand to 50 percent capacity beginning on March 19. Currently, New York City and New Jersey restaurants are operating at 35 percent capacity. This decision is made in partnership with Governor Murphy and will coincide with New Jersey expanding indoor dining to 50 percent on March 19. Other New York restaurants outside of New York City will expand to 75 percent capacity beginning March 19. 

4. To date, New York has conducted over 40 million COVID tests. In just five days, New York has conducted an additional one million COVID tests. Getting tested for COVID regularly is a great way to ensure your health and the health of those around you. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID or believe you may have been exposed to the virus, get tested. Find a testing site near you. You can also call 1-888-364-3065 to make a free appointment at a New York State-run testing site.

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: The first vaccine vial is becoming a permanent part of American history. On December 14, 2020, New York ICU nurse Sandra Lindsay made history as the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vial of the first vaccine used is now headed to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. to document this important moment in society’s fight against the virus. 

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Leftovers happen. People miss their appointments. Vials come with extra doses. Any thawed vials must be used within 6 hours, or they get thrown out.

Looking to get vaccinated but can’t get an appointment? Join the standby list to get connected with local providers with extra doses.

Anyone can join at hidrb.com, so get in line and pass it on! https://hidrb.com/

WASHINGTON– Today, Marcia L. Fudge was officially sworn in as the eighteenth Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Secretary Fudge took the oath this evening after the Senate voted to confirm her. As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Fudge now leads a federal department with wide reach throughout the United States, including the Offices of Housing, Community Planning and Development, Federal Housing Administration, Public and Indian Housing, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Policy Development and Research, Field Policy and Management, Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, and Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Below find video remarks delivered by Secretary Fudge.

Click here to watch remarks.