Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 02/09/2021 04:22 PM EST

New Vaccine Information Form to Streamline
Dutchess County Vaccine Availability Notifications

Options available for those without Internet Access, including Seniors over 65 years old

Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today announced the County’s Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has updated its notification system, refining the County’s system to better assist those looking for information about COVID-19 vaccine availability. The new form is available on the County’s vaccine information page: www.DutchessNY.gov/COVIDvaccine.

Residents who complete the new Vaccination Information Request Form will receive a notification when a vaccine appointment is available to them, based on eligibility, at a Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health Point of Dispensing (POD) site. As it may be many months before an appointment is available based on current vaccine supply, residents will also receive weekly updates about New York State’s allocations to other area vaccine providers including pharmacies where they may have the opportunity to make an appointment.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “We are committed to helping every Dutchess County resident who wants a vaccine to get one. Residents who complete the form will receive a notification when we can offer them an appointment at one of our POD sites, hopefully preventing the stress and anxiety of having to watch for new appointments to open, only to see all appointments filled in seconds. It is important to remember that national vaccine supply remains very limited and it may be months before an appointment is available – as our County health department has been only receiving 600-700 doses per week and we have close to 100,000 currently eligible residents. Patience continues to be paramount as we work to vaccinate residents as quickly as we receive doses.”

The new DBCH Vaccination Information Request Form gathers more detailed information from residents to assess their eligibility, under New York State’s phased distribution program. As New York State continues to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and providing new directives to vaccine providers, including local health departments, the new vaccination information form will enable the County to notify eligible residents about vaccine availability in accordance with the State’s vaccine distribution guidance. Residents will be able to identify their eligibility category – including those 65 years and older, essential workers, and those with comorbidities.

Currently, under NYS vaccine distribution guidance, local health departments are directed to prioritize essential workers in Phase 1B of the State’s phased distribution process – including police, fire, teachers, grocery store workers, public transit personnel and others. Additionally, the Governor recently announced those with co-morbidities will be eligible for vaccination starting February 15th. As more information about the new expanded eligibility is provided to the County, the new Vaccination Information form will assist in ensuring the County is meeting the state required mandates about vaccine distribution to eligible populations.

The new Vaccination Information Request Form will replace current email notifications. As such, the more than 25,000 County residents who had previously signed up to receive such notifications are asked to fill out the new form with their updated information in order to continue receive notifications.

Those without internet access can call the Dutchess County Corornavirus Information Line at 845-486-3555 to hear weekly updates about vaccine availability by selecting Option 1. Those over 65 years old can then choose to be connected with the Office for the Aging to be added to notification lists about appointment availability.

This form does not pre-register individuals for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, though the updated information received will be added to a County notification list, and those registered will receive email or text message updates from Dutchess County about when and where appointments will be available.

Dutchess County continues to provide updated information about COVID-19 vaccine availability on its webpage www.DutchessNY.gov/COVIDvaccine. This webpage includes status updates, as the County receives information from New York State, about allocations for the week and current appointment availability.

Thanks so much to all who joined us on Saturday to remember John and begin to chart our course forward for Repair Cafe of the Hudson Valley and Catskills in his memory and honor.  It was a very moving discussion, and inspiring with tidbits like the conversational circle where they passed around the “talking wrench.”

Reviewing the discussion  — key points — 

As promised, I have created a Google group for Repair Cafe of the Hudson Valley and Catskills organizers – starting with the group on John’s list.  It’s called RepairCafeHVCats and you will shortly receive a welcome message from it (can unsubscribe any time).  This allows for lateral communication in the RC community without me as gatekeeper, though I will supportively hover.  Please feel free to share with your trusted associates and encourage them to send me a request to join, which I will promptly grant.  Let’s not rush to put this on steroids with outreach to more than the active participants, for now, so we can use it effectively to communicate on operational issues as well as sustaining relationships, OK?

As fiscal sponsor, SHV is stepping up to fill John’s role in coordinating, cheerleading, networking etc. for Repair Cafe in our region.   We are:

• hosting the Facebook fundraiser through the end of February with the goal of raising $10,000 to seed a coordinator position (around $6K raised to date); 
• working with Vassar College intern Fiona Bruckman, whom you met on the call, to generate interesting tidbits for social media, do research on your behalf, and continue the work of tabulating data on the accomplishments of the program to date (#items, people, pounds of landfill diversion etc.) Depending on what comes out of the national Repair Cafe organizers’ un-conference coming up this Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. [register here] we may work on a more structured national conference or at least forum in due time as John envisioned.  Fiona will be with us into May;
• integrating the RC / HV Cats website and national with ours;
• checking in with each local organizer over the coming weeks to be sure we understand the status of things, any concerns, primary support needs and anything you can share with others.

Most of you are in fully virtual mode while a few of you are carefully making plans to resume activity when the weather improves to allow for outdoor Repair Cafes.   I want to encourage us to err on the side of patience and use this in-between time to get as creative as humanly possible with our virtual activities, as well as planning for summer into fall in person.  The Yorktown model with advance sign-ups and distanced tables seems helpful, as well as the idea of dropping things off with coaches – not as empowering but a reasonable compromise.  Below my signature is the invitation with schedule of Fixit Clinics from Peter Mui who offered to create a customized one for our people if you all like.  What are your thoughts?

Forgot to mention – Sustainable Hudson Valley is willing to purchase a copy of Repair Revolution for any public library associated with a local RC group that will actively promote the book (to its members, and ideally write a review on Amazon or Goodreads to support it).  Let me know if you would like one for any library in your neck of the woods.  

How is Saturday March 6, same time – 1 pm – for the followup we discussed?  Please reply to me only with your availability then + March 13 as a backup.

Don’t hesitate to be in touch about anything!   

Thank you –

Melissa Everett, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Sustainable Hudson Valley
PO Box 3364
Kingston, NY 12402
845-514-8567
www.sustainhv.org

This news briefing is dated Friday February 8th, 2021

COVID-19Get the latest information from the CDC about COVID-19.LEARN MORELearn about vaccine progress from the CDC 

ABC LATINO is a bilingual interactive magazine which provides vital information to the Latino communities in the Hudson Valley. If interested please review and share this information with your Latino friends and neighbors. Click on the links below and start exploring!

The Latin World under one roof

The good news is New York’s numbers continue to show progress as the holiday surge recedes. Our positivity rate has been steadily declining, and that success is a reflection of New Yorkers’ commitment to defeating this beast of a virus. We know the weapon to win the war is the vaccine and more and more shots are getting into arms every day, but the federal supply is still not enough. This has been a long road, but I commend New Yorkers for their determination through it all. As we enter Super Bowl weekend, we cannot get cocky with COVID—we must remain vigilant: Be smart, wear a mask, socially distance and stay New York Tough.

Video of the Day: How mRNA COVID Vaccines Work. Click here to watch.

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 7,967. Of the 169,186 tests reported yesterday, 7,414, or 4.38 percent, were positive. This is the lowest daily statewide positivity rate since November 28. The 7-day average positivity rate in all NYS regions is below 6 percent. There were 1,506 patients in the ICU yesterday, down 16 from the previous day. Of them, 986 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 135 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. As of 11am this morning, 95 percent of first doses received by the State have been administered. This represents 1,475,122 first doses administered of the 1,554,450 first dose allocations received from the federal government. So far, 369,186 second doses have been administered out of 725,050 second doses received. See data by region on the State’s Vaccine Tracker.

3. More than 27 million Americans have received a first dose of the COVID vaccine. In total, over six million Americans nationally have been fully vaccinated, the New York Times reported.

4. You’ve heard of mRNA vaccines—but do you know how they work?Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines. New York State released a video explaining how mRNA vaccines work to safely protect individuals from COVID-19. Three key things to know: They do not affect your own genetic material or DNA in any way; they do not contain the actual COVID-19 virus; and they cannot give you COVID. Watch the video.

5. New York State is encouraging eligible New Yorkers to train to become vaccinators. If you are a licensed practical nurse, a dentist, an EMT, a medical or nursing student with at least a year of clinical experience, and more — then you may be eligible to take training to become a vaccinator and help New York administer COVID vaccines over the coming months. See how you can get involved here. 

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: A 20-year-old Cornell student who made $30,000 from GameStop stock during the frenzy of trading last month is using some of his earnings to donate new gaming consoles to the Children’s Minnesota hospital. The student, Hunter Kahn, wrote in an Instagram post that he felt it was “important that myself and others pay forward our good fortune.” The Nintendo Switch consoles he bought for the hospital are already being used by young patients at the hospital. 

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

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

I’m excited to announce that Yankee Stadium will open as a mass vaccination site on Friday for eligible Bronx residents. As you may know, the Bronx has the highest positivity rate of all New York City boroughs, and many Bronx communities have suffered disproportionately during this pandemic. It is with that in mind that the iconic home of the Bronx Bombers will be reserved for Bronx residents. The site is by appointment only and 15,000 appointments will be available during the first week. The site is launching in partnership with the New York Yankees, SOMOS Community Care, the City of New York and the New York National Guard. If you’re a Bronx resident who is eligible for the vaccine, schedule an appointment by visiting Somosvaccinations.com or by calling 1-833-SOMOSNY.

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. Thirty-five pop-up vaccination sites are coming online this week at churches, community centers, public housing complexes and cultural centers across the state. These sites are expected to vaccinate over 25,000 people throughout the week, with more sites coming online every week. Since January 15, the deployment of community vaccination kits has enabled nearly 9,000 New Yorkers to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, often in communities where there are very limited health care options. Learn more.

2. Total COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to 8,082. Of the 126,489 tests reported yesterday, 5,925, or 4.68 percent, were positive. There were 1,522 patients in the ICU yesterday, up 19 from the previous day. Of them, 1,003 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 160 New Yorkers to the virus. 

3. As of 11am this morning, 92 percent of first doses received by the State have been administered. This represents 1,432,195 first doses administered of the 1,554,450 first dose allocations received from the federal government. So far, 331,579 second doses have been administered out of 725,050 second doses received. See data by region on the State’s Vaccine Tracker.

4. Five New York companies have been awarded grants to produce COVID-related equipment and supplies to support in-state needs. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious issues in our nation’s medical supply chain, and we were forced to compete overseas and pay exorbitant prices for life-saving products. We learned the hard lesson that these resources need to be manufactured here in the U.S., and we are taking steps to build the infrastructure we need here in New York to keep us prepared for future crises. Today’s awards to these New York companies will do just that, while helping local companies create new jobs. 

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: A rare fossilized dinosaur footprint was found in the United Kingdom—by a 4-year-old girl. The girl, Lily Wilder, spotted the impression while taking a nature walk with her father on a beach near the town of Barry, Wales. Scientists believe it was left by a previously unidentified species of dinosaur about 215 million years ago. The print is unique in being well preserved, showing individual claw and pad impressions from the dinosaur’s foot. The fossil was brought to the National Museum in Cardiff for further study by paleontologists. 

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 02/03/2021 05:45 PM EST

Molinaro Updates Residents on COVID-19 Pandemic,
Vaccine Distribution at Latest Facebook Live Town Hall

Poughkeepsie, NY … Yesterday, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro continued his nearly 10-months long series of virtual Town Hall Forums regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Joined by Dr. Lewis Kohl of CareMount Medical, the County Executive provided residents updates about the County’s ongoing vaccine distribution process, which remains sluggish and frustrating for residents and Health Department staff alike, as well as discussing the County’s ongoing response to the pandemic and answering as many questions as possible.

This week’s Town Hall, and an archive of past events, is available on the County’s YouTube page.

Among the highlights of today’s discussion:

• County Executive Molinaro updated residents on the most current data available on the Dutchess County COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard:

o 463,073 tests completed to date 
o 19,408 confirmed cases to date 
o 1,301 current active cases  
o 140 current hospitalizations 
o 365 deaths to date   
o 17,742 recovered to date 
o Positivity Rate Dutchess County (7-day rolling avg.): 5.79%, as of 2/1/21.

• County Executive Molinaro candidly addressed the stress, anger, and frustration that the state-operated COVID-19 vaccination process is causing thousands of Dutchess County residents as well as County personnel. This week, Dutchess County received 700 doses of vaccine from the State. At exactly 12pm today, a notification of vaccine appointment availability was sent out to a list of over 30,000 residents via email and text messages. Additionally, the registration link was posted on the County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information webpage, which saw over 150,000 pageviews as residents continuously tried refreshing the page waiting for the link to go ‘live.’ As a result, available appointments for this week filled within mere seconds.

With more than 7 million residents statewide currently eligible for vaccination under the New York State Phased Distribution Plan, and only 250,000 to 300,000 doses per week from the Federal Government, the demand for vaccines still far exceeds allocated supply. The Governor has estimated that it will take upwards of seven months to vaccinate the current eligible group based on current supply.

Currently, appointments for vaccination can only be made as vaccine supply is received by local health departments. Following news from the Federal government that supply will be increasing and is now guaranteed to states, the County hopes to soon enable residents to book appointments for dates a few weeks into the future instead of only a week at a time.

– This week, Dutchess County Government will open Points of Dispensing (PODs) located at the former JCPenney store at the Poughkeepsie Galleria and Dover High School in Dover Plains to vaccinate eligible Dutchess County residents. Appointments for these sites booked within seconds due to continued limited supply. These sites are open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY and cannot accept walk-ins.

– County Executive Molinaro advised residents to:

• Sign up now to receive emails or text messages notifying them of when appointments for vaccination will be available at the PODs. Visit www.dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine to sign up for alerts, as well as for the latest vaccine information and updates about new appointment availability at the County-run PODs and other sites within the county.

• Please do not call the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) for vaccine appointments. DBCH cannot make appointments for residents.

• Call the New York State’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline (1-833-697-4829), which is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., for scheduling appointments at New York State-run vaccination sites (the nearest state-run locations include Westchester County Center, the Javits Center in NYC, and SUNY Albany.

• Use the State’s “Am I Eligible?” online tool to check their eligibility for vaccination and make appointments at the state-run vaccination sites.

• Dr. Lewis Kohl, Chief Medical Information Officer, Senior Medical Director & Chief Safety Officer at CareMount Medical, joined County Executive Molinaro to answer residents’ questions. Dr. Kohl reiterated the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, while answering several questions.

• County Executive Molinaro thanked residents for their continued patience and vigilance as COVID-19 cases are decreasing in our area, but the risk is still real. Residents are reminded to continue the precautions to prevent COVID-19: wearing masks, washing hands frequently, practice social distancing, and not engaging in social gatherings.

County Executive Molinaro has hosted more than 50 such virtual discussions since March 2020, and an archive of all such forums, including today’s conversation, is available on the County’s YouTube page.

County Executive Molinaro’s next virtual discussion will take place on Wednesday, February 10th at 3pm, when he hosts a virtual town hall on the County’s Facebook page. American Sign Language interpreters will translate the conversation on Facebook.