Attention Residents of BHA, BINGO has been postponed until further notice. At this time BINGO will be suspended and will tentatively start again in the Spring in 2022. Please stayed tuned for further notice.
News & Events
TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE ~ Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez is an award-winning Dominican American poet, novelist, and essayist who drew national attention with her popular 1991 novel “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents,” and 1994’s “In the Time of the Butterflies,” in which this quote appears. These simple words encourage us not to undervalue spontaneity: While we’re busy grasping for control, our most meaningful experiences are often the result of life’s unexpected twists and turns.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM OMICRON
January 10, 2022
| Protect yourself from Omicron |
| The Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original virus that causes COVID-19. Here are 3 things you can do to help protect yourself and others: 1) Get the COVID-19 vaccine, if you haven’t already. Vaccines are the best tool to protect us from COVID-19. They slow the transmission of the virus, and provide strong protection against severe illness and hospitalization. 2) Get the booster when you’re fully eligible. Everyone 18 years and older should get a booster shot 2 months after their Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or 5 months after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. Adolescents and teens ages 12 to 17 should also get a booster of Pfizer-BioNTech 5 months after their primary series. 3) Continue wearing a mask in indoor public places in areas of high or substantial community transmission. Use the COVID-19 County Check Tool to find your county’s level of community transmission. Learn More Remember: Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot at no cost to you. Visit Vaccines.gov to find COVID-19 vaccines and boosters near you. Sincerely, The Medicare Team |
Message from NY State Gov. Kathy Hochul
On Wednesday 1/5/2022, I delivered my first State of the State Address where I outlined a plan to create a New Era for New York by embarking on a bold, far-reaching policy agenda that advances our recovery and restores New Yorkers’ trust in government.
I have spent my lifetime in public service. I know the people, the places, and the challenges across New York, and I know the path we must take forward to lift up each and every New Yorker.
That’s why I proposed an ambitious agenda to:
Rebuild our healthcare and teacher workforces,
Provide tax relief to those who need it most,
Speed up economic growth and create good paying, middle-class jobs,
Strengthen our infrastructure and confront climate change,
Secure public safety and make housing more affordable,
Ensure every New Yorker has a roof over their heads,
And enact bold reforms for our State government.
My fellow New Yorkers: This agenda is for you. Every single initiative is filtered through the lens of how it will help you and your families. I encourage you to learn more about our over 220 proposals to help our state come back stronger than ever before.
Ever Upward,
Governor Kathy Hochul
Challenge Yourself with the 21 Day Equity Challenge and MLK Volunteer Opportunities
| Challenge Yourself with the 21-Day Equity Challenge and MLK Day Volunteer Opportunities. |
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region is challenging you to a 21-Day Equity Challenge that will share resources about specific equity topics in our community for each day of the challenge. You can choose to read an article, watch a video or listen to a podcast – or delve more deeply into the topic by engaging with all three. Depending on your choice, each challenge will take from few minutes up to an hour daily. The 21-Day Equity Challenge begins on Monday, January 17, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. This is a powerful opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how inequality affects our lives and our community. To sign up, go to www.uwdor.org/21dayequitychallenge. Please feel free to share this with your family, friends, students, colleagues and employees. There is no charge to participate and we encourage everyone to join in. In addition to the Challenge, you can participate in several virtual and socially distanced volunteer opportunities. To find out more, go to www.uwdor.org/mlk2022. |
Gov. Hochul COVID Update: Additional Tests on the Way — Booster Requirement for Health Care Workers — Protecting Nursing Home Residents
| Happy New Year! It has been a busy week. On Wednesday, I delivered my first State of the State address, where I laid out my vision for our comeback from COVID and for using this opportunity to unlock a whole New Era for New York. Learn more about that vision here. We continue to fight the winter surge and closely monitor hospitalizations. Over 95% of New Yorkers have at least one vaccine dose, and booster rates continue to climb — people are using the tools known to prevent severe illness, and that’s great news! However, only 31% of children ages 5-11 are partly vaccinated. Parents and guardians: Please get your children vaccinated. As part of our Winter Surge Plan, we continue to make vaccines, boosters, testing, and masks more widely available – and are working to support hospitals and keep schools open. Let’s dive in. |
UPDATES IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST COVID |
EXPANDED TESTING CAPACITY. We ordered an additional 12 million tests this week, bringing our total tests ordered to 49 million. On top of our 1,800+ testing sites, starting next week four additional MTA testing sites will open and 20 total SUNY campuses will offer testing. Find a testing location near you. MORE TESTS FOR SCHOOLS. Last week, we delivered 6.18 million tests to schools, including more than three million to New York City schools. Public and charter schools have the tests to implement Test to Stay next week, and more tests are on the way. HEALTH CARE WORKER BOOSTER REQUIREMENT. We’ve seen facilities stressed because some are unvaccinated, and others are vaccinated but not boosted. That’s why I announced a plan for a first-in-the-nation booster requirement for health care workers. More is coming on this soon. PROTECTING NURSING HOME RESIDENTS. I understand how important it is to stay connected with loved ones in nursing homes. That’s why I announced new requirements to keep visitors and residents safe. Starting Wednesday, visitors must wear “surgical”-type masks and have a negative COVID test within 24 hours of visiting. |
THE LATEST ON THE NUMBERS |
THIS WEEK’S COVID TRENDS. As of January 8, 2022, 11,747 New Yorkers are hospitalized with COVID-19. Our 7-day percentage positivity average is 21.71%, which is up from 21.49% last week. There were 379.43 cases per 100K statewide. Per the CDC as of January 8, 2022, 95.0% of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose. So far, 34,384,727 total vaccine doses have been administered, and 86,927 doses have been administered over the past 24 hours.  Photo of the Day: On December 29, I visited health care workers at the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown to thank them for their hard work that they, and all their colleagues across the state, do for us. (Photo by Kevin Coughlin) |
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS |
Every week, we’re answering some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations. You can submit a question for a chance to get your question answered in next week’s newsletter. Submit your question here. QUESTION: When will the children ages 12-15 be eligible to receive their boosters? (Jessica, Rockland) ANSWER: New guidance recommends booster doses for all New Yorkers ages 12 and older. The guidance, following action by the CDC, recommends that people, including the newly authorized 12-15 year-old age group, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should receive a booster dose at least five months after their second dose; the previous recommended interval was at least six months. In addition, moderately to severely immunocompromised 5-11-year-olds can receive an additional primary dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 28 days after their second dose. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children ages 5-11. All state mass vaccination sites are now offering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for New Yorkers 12 years of age and older, as well as third doses for immunocompromised people 5 years and older. For more information on boosters and additional doses, see the State’s dedicated page here. Keep using the tools we know can beat back the virus: get vaccinated, get boosted, get tested, and wear a mask. Have a great rest of the weekend and start to your week, New York! Ever Upward, Governor Kathy Hochul |
Dutchess County Distributing Additional COVID-19 Test Kits to Every Municipality
January 5, 2022
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today the County has received another limited supply of at-home COVID-19 test kits from New York State which have been distributed to each municipality based on population size as well as to select community organizations that serve underserved populations. Municipalities will be distributing test kits to residents over the next few days and residents should check their municipality’s website or call for specific information about when and where test kits will be available for pick up.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Testing facilities across the county have seen exponential growth in the number of residents seeking a COVID-19 test. These at-home test kits are a critical step towards increasing access to testing within our community as we continue to combat the surge in COVID-19 cases following the busy holiday season. We thank both our local and state partners for their cooperation in assisting Dutchess in distributing this valuable resource.”
To obtain a test kit, residents must supply their municipality with proof of residency. Residents may only get the free test kits from the municipality in which they reside (you cannot go to a different town to get a kit). As supply continues to be limited, each household can receive one test kit, which includes two individual tests. Kits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and residents who previously received a free kit are asked to allow others who were unable to get a kit to get one. While supplies are limited, distribution from New York State is expected to be recurring and the County will continue to work with local municipalities to distribute test kits as they are received.
Residents who receive a positive result from an at-home COVID-19 test must:
- Immediately self-isolate, even if they are vaccinated; adhere to current quarantine guidance; and
- take a picture of the positive at-home test result within 24 hours and report the positive case to the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) at dutchessny.gov/COVIDpositive
With high active case volume, contract tracers may not be able to contact people in a timely manner, so residents are advised to follow isolation protocols for their quarantine period. If a resident’s symptoms worsen or they have trouble breathing following a positive result from an at-home test, they should consult their physician or dial 9-1-1. Individuals who work in healthcare or other congregate care setting may have different requirements, they should contact their employer and refer to NYS DOH return-to-work guidance for healthcare personnel.
While at-home tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are reliable, it is possible to receive a false negative. If residents experience symptoms and test negative, they’re urged to take another test within 24-48 hours.
Negative test results from at-home tests may not be sufficient to return to work or school. DBCH will not accept negative results from at-home tests for early release from quarantine. Negative results do not need to be reported to DBCH.
The distribution of at-home test kits is part of Dutchess County’s comprehensive efforts in the fight against COVID-19. The County, in cooperation with all municipalities and school districts as well as nonprofit organizations and small businesses, also already distributed nearly 50,000 test kits and over 100,000 KN95 masks. Multiple providers across Dutchess County have been offering rapid and PCR testing and Dutchess County has also been offering no-cost testing at the former JCPenney and has increased hours and testing staff at the site to accommodate increased demand.
Dr. Livia Santiago-Rosado, Department of Behavioral & Community Health Commissioner, reminds residents to use multi-layered prevention efforts to protect themselves and to prevent the spread of COVID including:
- Get vaccinated
- Get a booster shot if already vaccinated
- Wear a mask in indoor public settings
- Physically distance when possible
- Wash hands and avoid touching face including nose and eyes
- STAY HOME WHEN SICK OR HAVE SYMPTOMS to prevent spread of viruses, including COVID and flu
- Adhere to protocols if you test positive.
For comprehensive information about COVID-19, including testing, vaccinations, prevention and more, visit www.DutchessNY.gov/Coronavirus or call the COVID information line at 845-486-3555.
ATTENTION ALL RESIDENTS OF BHA … DO NOT DRIVE ON THE LAWN OR WALKWAYS OF BHA PROPERTY
BHA is asking all residents to be considerate and not drive their vehicles on the BHA Property. Parked cars are to remain in the parking lots. There is to be no driving on the grass or the walkways. BHA is asking all residents who witness this behavior to take a photo and report this to the office. Lets continue to take pride in our community appearance.
Thank You
BHA Management.
TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE ~ Eugene Ionesco
Perhaps the moments we cherish most in life, suggests avant-garde playwright Eugene Ionesco, are the ones that only last a short while. With this quote, Ionesco argues that scarcity increases value, and those temporal wonders we experience — a perfect snowflake melting on a fingertip, or the last ring of laughter at a dinner party that had to end — become the memories we delight in forever.