Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 03/31/2021 05:00 PM EDT
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted his latest virtual 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 updated residents on the most current data, as of Wednesday, available on the Dutchess County COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard:
617,292 tests completed to date
25,893 confirmed cases to date
1,405 current active cases
59 current hospitalizations
425 deaths to date
Positivity Rate for Dutchess County (7-day rolling avg.): 4.54% (as of March 29th)
– Dutchess County vaccine metrics (as of March 29th) have also been added to the Dashboard that reflects data published on the State’s Vaccine Tracker:
89,096 Dutchess residents with at least one dose of the
30.33% of population with one dose
45,292 residents completed vaccine series
15.42% of population with complete vaccine series
– Earlier today, County Executive Molinaro was one of 350 residents to receive his COVID-19 vaccine at a Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Health (DBCH) pop-up Point of Dispensing (POD) at Stissing Mountain High School in Pine Plains.
– This week, 4,900 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:
– DBCH is slated to receive 2,900 doses of Moderna vaccine; 2,100 doses will be used to vaccinate eligible groups at the County’s fixed PODs in Poughkeepsie and Dover; 800 doses will be provided to local primary care partners to vaccinate homebound and medically frail senior citizens.
– Additionally, the County continues to host pop-up vaccination sites having completed a vaccine POD in Pine Plains earlier today, with another pop-up site in the City of Poughkeepsie organized for Friday, April 2 by appointment only; additional pop-up vaccine clinics will be held in Millerton and Hyde Park in the coming days.
– 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.
– Earlier this week, the State announced all individuals over the age of 30 are now eligible to be vaccinated, and beginning April 6th, all those over the age of 16 will be eligible. Residents are reminded that only Pfizer’s vaccine is approved for those 16 and 17 years of age.
– VA Hudson Valley announced, starting today, it has begun vaccinating veterans’ spouses and caregivers at their walk-in clinics at Castle Point & Montrose. These clinics are held Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
– 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.
– DBCH will host a virtual public forum on Chemical Dependency and Substance Use services offered in Dutchess County. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear an overview on services, ask specific questions of providers, and offer feedback. To register for this event, or offer comments ahead of the forum, visit DutchessNY.gov/ForumComments.
– Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) is hosting an online survey for residents to share information on their past, present and future use of DCPT services, as well as private transportation services, as part of an ongoing transit study to develop ways to further enhance the transit system.
The survey is available online in English and Spanish now through April 16. The survey, which is being conducted on behalf of the County by Nelson/Nygaard, asks questions about how riders use DCPT services, including how they may have curtailed use of public transit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how they currently use services, and how they may use services in the future once a vaccine is widely distributed. Feedback will be used to form recommendations for future improvements such as group ride-share, micro-transit networks, or revamping the current system as well as suggestions for fuel-efficient vehicles, fare structure, and hours of service.
Dutchess County residents who complete the survey can also enter their email address to be entered to win one of four $25 Visa gift cards. Visit the Dutchess County Public Transit website for more information or for assistance completing the survey, contact DCPT at 845-473-8424.
County Executive Molinaro will host his next Facebook Live Town Hall on Wednesday, April 7th at 3 p.m. As always, residents are encouraged to watch live on the County’s Facebook page.