News & Events

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.

Hello Green Teen Community,

We are looking out the window at the mounds of snow and then looking even farther past them to the Spring…

We’re hiring for the Spring Crew!

If you or anyone you know is interested- please pass this along.  

We will be working from the end of March until the beginning of June about 3 afternoons a week.  (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with an occasional Saturday.)

Applications are HERE.

They are due February 24th by 5 pm.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

In the meantime, have fun out there in the snow!

Be well,

Helanna and Chelsea

________________________________________

Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 02/03/2021 10:35 AM EST

Dutchess County to Receive 700 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine
Appointment Scheduling at www.DutchessNY.gov/COVIDvaccine

Poughkeepsie, NY … The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH)  will receive 700 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week from New York State and will open appointment scheduling online  at www.dutchessny.gov/COVIDvaccine today, Wednesday, February 3rd at noon for eligible individuals in Phase 1a and 1b as determined by New York State’s Phased Distribution Plan.

DBCH will operate two Points of Dispensing (POD) Vaccination Centers this week by appointment only.  

Thursday, February 4th
12pm to 5pm
Former JCPenney store, Poughkeepsie Galleria
2001 South Road, Poughkeepsie 

Saturday, February 6th
10am to 2pm
Dover High School
2368 Route 22, Dover Plains

The appointment scheduling link will be posted today – February 3rd  at DutchessNY.gov/COVIDvaccine at 12pm. Those who are registered for notifications will receive the appointment scheduling link via email or text.  Appointments will fill quickly.

Residents can register to receive notification when new vaccination appointments are open for scheduling at the County’s COVID-19 vaccine information webpage at dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine.

Please note, appointments CANNOT be made by calling Dutchess County’s Coronavirus Information Call Center or the Department of Behavioral & Community Health as appointments must currently be made online through the State-operated registration system.

This week’s vaccine allocation, while still well below the County’s distribution capacity, is a small increase from the 600 doses received in each of the past two weeks, as a result of additional supply being provided by the Federal government. New York State has directed the additional 100 doses received are to be used to vaccinate Phase 1a eligible staff and residents of facilities certified or operated by the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

County Executive Molinaro had already begun this initiative last month in Dutchess County, with DBCH and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) of Dutchess County volunteers conducting a mobile ‘pop up’ vaccination site at New Horizons Resources in Pleasant Valley where 60 individuals who receive support and services from New Horizons Resources, Abilities First, ARC of the Greater Hudson Valley and the Taconic Developmental Disabilities Services Office, among others, were vaccinated. The mobile sites will continue at various facilities over the next several weeks.   

County Executive Molinaro said, “We share residents’ frustration in lack of available vaccine supply and the constraints of using New York State’s online system to schedule vaccination appointments. Dutchess County has the capacity to be putting thousands of shots into arms each week, but like others across the state, we are constrained by supply limits. We recognize the frustration of spending hours online looking for appointments, so we continue to try to streamline the process to make it easier to be informed. Last week, we quickly notified residents who signed up for vaccine alerts about newly opened appointments at the closest state-run mass vaccination sites. This week, we are providing notice that appointments for this week’s Dutchess County sites will open today at noon, providing eligible residents notice of scheduling opportunities. We know these appointments will fill up fast but remind residents that this is a months-long vaccination process, and everyone will have an opportunity to receive their shot, if they so choose. We appreciate residents’ patience as we all work through this state-run process, and Dutchess County will continue to provide vaccination updates, when they’re available.”

Registered individuals should be prepared to show identification (i.e. driver’s license, pay stub, work ID) to verify eligibility for Phase 1a and 1b classification. Scheduling for second dose appointments will occur at the vaccination site as vaccine requires two doses for full effectiveness. Vaccine supply remains very limited from the state and federal government and supply allocations are not guaranteed. All appointments should be considered tentative and are subject to cancellation if Dutchess County does not receive expected allocation.

As vaccinations continue, all residents are reminded to continue with coronavirus safety measures – wearing a face mask, frequent hand washing and physical distancing – to stop the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccine remains in limited supply and residents are urged to remain patient as demand far exceeds supply.  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.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect across the Hudson Valley. Residents of BHA are advised to take precautions and avoid unnecessary travel. The BHA office staff will be working remotely today. If you have an emergency please contact 911 otherwise office staff can be reached via the main number (845) 831-1289 or via email.