Vaccine begins arriving for first responders, nursing homes
■ State health officials said that, as of Thursday (Dec. 31), 4,937 (+106 from the day before) people had tested positive for COVID-19 in Putnam County; 12,379 (+297) in Dutchess; 70,614 (+953) in Westchester; 27,768 (+258) in Rockland; 5,816 (+137) in Ulster; and 23,679 (+322) in Orange. Statewide, there have been 990,711 (+16,497) positives, including 431,353 (+5,293) in New York City.
■ Statewide, 30,208 (+166) people had died as of Dec. 31, including 67 (0) residents of Putnam County and 237 (+3) from Dutchess.
■ Beacon had 76 active cases as of Dec. 30 and Putnam had 277 for the week ending Dec. 24, with 32 new cases reported in Philipstown, which has had 279 since March. There were 158 new cases in Carmel, 42 in Kent, 29 in Patterson, 57 in Putnam Valley and 78 in Southeast. Sixteen people were hospitalized at Putnam Hospital in Carmel.
■ In Dutchess County, there were 3,338 tests conducted on Dec. 31 and 297 positives reported, and in Putnam, there were 999 tests and 106 positives reported. The percentage of positive results in the Mid-Hudson Region was 7.09 percent.
■ Statewide, there were 219,253 tests conducted on Dec. 31 and 16,497 positives, or 7.52 percent.
■ Dutchess had conducted 364,442 tests as of Dec. 31 and had 3.3 percent positives, while Putnam had conducted 109,343 tests and had 4.5 percent positives.
■ The number of people with COVID-19 who are hospitalized in New York state as of Dec. 31 stood at 7,886 (-49); the number in intensive care was 1,292 (+16); and the number of intubations was 776 (+53). In the Mid-Hudson Valley, 35 percent of hospital beds were available and 40 percent of ICU beds.
■ On Oct. 21, the state Department of Health announced a microcluster strategy to limit the spread of COVID, based on county population. Dutchess falls into Tier 2, where restrictions could be triggered if the 7-day rolling average positive rate exceeds 3 percent for 10 days and the county has 12 or more new cases per 100,000 residents on a 7-day average. Putnam falls into Tier 3, where restrictions could be triggered if the 7-day rolling average positive rate exceeds 3.5 percent for 10 days and the county has 15 or more new cases per 100,000 residents on a 7-day average. Here are the current restricted areas.
■ On Dec. 11, the Department of Health revised its criteria for the Yellow Zone. A geographic area will be eligible if it has a 3 percent positivity rate (7-day average) over the past 10 days and is in the top 10 percent in the state for hospital admissions per capita over the past week and is experiencing week-over-week growth in daily admissions.
■ As of Dec. 30, the 7-day rolling average positivity rate in Dutchess was 7.6 percent and the average in Putnam was 8.8 percent.
■ As of Dec. 23, according to the State COVID Report Card, Haldane had reported 11 students, teachers and staff who had tested positive; Garrison reported three; and Beacon reported 29.
■ The state on Dec. 29 announced new quarantine guidelines: Individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without testing, instead of 14, as long as they do not have symptoms.
■ In response to a question, the Putnam County Health Department posted on Twitter: “(1) There are a few reasons for discrepancies between new and active cases [in reports]. Sometimes, by the time the lab is received, the individual has already completed isolation. That’s usually 10 days from the start of symptoms. (2) Most people aren’t tested the same day they become ill, and it can take a number of days to receive a test result. We also have to verify addresses and complete case investigations before they are included on the dashboard. (3) Since the dashboard is released weekly, there are also people who complete isolation in the week leading up to the day the dashboard is shared.”
■ The state opened a new eligibility period and expanded the qualifications for a one-time COVID rent-subsidy program for low-income residents. Applicants must have lost income between April 1 and July 31 and before March 7 have been at or below 80 percent of the area median household income, adjusted for household size (e.g., $81,840 annually for a family of four). The new application period opens Feb. 1. Approved subsidies will be paid to the applicant’s landlord. Residents who have previously applied do not need to reapply. For details, see hcr.ny.gov/RRP.
■ On Dec. 26, the state Department of Health said it had been “made aware of reports that Parcare Community Health Network, an Orange County provider, may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public — contrary to the state’s plan to administer it first to frontline healthcare workers, as well as nursing home residents and staffers. We take this very seriously and DOH will be assisting State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
■ The federal government extended a temporary moratorium for most evictions until Jan. 31. To be eligible, renters must have experienced a “substantial” loss of household income, a layoff or “extraordinary” out-of-pocket medical expenses and can’t expect to earn more than $99,000 in 2020 (or $198,000 for married people filing their tax returns jointly). This declaration form is required.
■ Dutchess County said on Dec. 22 it would will allocate the more than $2.3 million it received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act with nearly $1.3 million for eviction prevention; more than $450,000 for economic development relief for businesses with five or fewer employees (including the owner); more than $400,000 for childcare to assist low- and moderate-income parents balancing work and student remote learning; and more than $150,000 for municipal projects promoting food security and safety for seniors, including $25,000 to the City of Beacon.
■ On Dec. 21, British Airways and Delta Airlines said they would require a COVID-19 test before allowing passengers to board planes traveling from the UK to New York.
■ On Dec. 19, the state allowed local governments to provide property tax exemptions for low-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities who own property through 2021 by lifting the in-person renewal requirement.
■ Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted his 50th virtual town hall on Dec. 22 about the COVID-19 shutdown. The next takes place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 6) via the county’s Facebook page.
■ On Wednesday (Dec. 9), Haldane Superintendent Philip Benante announced the district would switch to all-virtual learning until the holiday break because a number of staff members and 10 percent of the student body were in quarantine following a case at the school. The high school, which was on a hybrid schedule, would move to all-virtual on Dec. 10, with in-person classes scheduled to resume on Jan. 4, after the holiday break. Elementary and middle school, where students had been attending in-person daily (except for those who opted for virtual), would go virtual on Monday (Dec. 21) and also return in-person on Jan. 4.
On Dec. 23, psychiatry resident Dr. Jesus Del Val was the first staff member at Putnam Hospital Center to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. (Photo provided)
■ Effective Dec. 14, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office in Poughkeepsie will change its in-person lobby access to Civil Bureau, Pistol Permit Bureau and Records Bureau services. Access will be by appointment only between 8 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. For Civil Bureau matters, call 845-486-3840. For Pistol Permit Bureau matters call 845-486-3883 or 845-486-3896. For Records Bureau matters, call 845-486-3810. The modified lobby access will not impact law enforcement services. Deputy sheriffs are available in the lobby 24 hours a day. For police assistance call 845-486-3800.
■ On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the Garrison School announced its middle-school students would go all-virtual as of Dec. 10 after an employee tested positive.
■ On Wednesday (Dec. 9), Cuomo announced that “the state’s vaccination distribution effort will focus on battling skepticism, include outreach to Black, brown and poor communities, as well as expedited distribution and administration. New York could receive its initial allocation of 170,000 vaccines as soon as this weekend, and expects further allocations in the following weeks…. High-risk healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staff are prioritized first to receive the vaccine, followed by other long-term and congregate care staff and residents and EMS and other health care workers. Essential workers and the general population, starting with those who are at highest risk, will be vaccinated after these initial priority groups.” The vaccine will be allocated on a regional basis, he said, with the Mid-Hudson receiving the third highest number of doses (19,200) behind New York City (72,000) and Long Island (26,500).
■ The Dutchess County health department is hiring for temporary positions to assist staff with data entry, call-taking and COVID rapid testing. The positions, which offer up to 30 hours of employment per week, require either graduation from high school or possession of an equivalency diploma/GED; for a COVID testing assignment, preferred qualifications include experience as an EMT, paramedic, LPN, CNA, RN or training in first aid and/or medical training.
■ In Beacon, Brother’s Trattoria closed through Dec. 12, according to a Facebook post by the restaurant, because it was informed that a patron who dined there on Friday (Nov. 27) and Saturday (Nov. 28) has tested positive for COVID. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the restaurant for 10 days, performing deep disinfection procedures and our entire staff will be tested,” it said.
■ The governor extended his state of emergency order through Jan. 1, allowing public meetings to continue to be held remotely.
■ On Dec. 2, Major Andrew Bigelow, chief of public health at Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point, provided an update of the situation on base and in Orange County and the Hudson Valley.
■ On Wednesday (Dec. 2), Haldane Superintendent Philip Benante wrote that “as of today, we received notice of three members of the school community who tested positive for COVID. Given the timing of when these individuals were last on campus and when they became symptomatic, it is not necessary to close the school for additional cleaning or contact tracing. I have reviewed each of the cases with the Putnam County Department of Health and our district physician who confirmed that our district has followed all appropriate health and safety protocols.”
■ Cuomo said on Dec. 2 that New York State expected to receive an initial delivery of COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer for 170,000 people by Dec. 15, if all safety and efficacy approvals are granted by the federal government. Additional allocations of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected later in the month.
■ On Nov. 13, Putnam County issued a statement: “The state dashboards indicate that Putnam County cases remain at a level that if sustained for an additional week, could initiate county designation as a yellow zone. We have met these metrics for 4 days (including today) and according to the most recent guidance, if sustained for 10 days, we would be designated a yellow zone. This guidance is subject to change. The Putnam County Department of Health has requested from New York State test positivity rate breakdowns by ZIP code to further inform both mitigation and preparedness efforts. In the interim, we must prepare for the potential that the entire county could face this designation, rather than just a ZIP code or a town.”
■ On Tuesday (Nov. 24), Putnam County said it is trying to get more guidance from the state about whether the county will be designated as yellow or orange or if it will apply only to specific areas or ZIP codes. The county also noted that while it has qualified for restrictions using two measures — the positivity rate on a seven-day rolling average and the number of cases per 100,000 residents — the state also considers other metrics such as hospital admissions; population density; the age of those testing positive; the effectiveness of contact tracing; whether outbreaks involve facilities such as nursing homes, colleges or prisons. “The governor’s mention [on Nov. 23] of Brewster ‘nearing yellow-zone designation’ confirms that our request to view Putnam County on a hyper-local level is a necessity,” said Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell in a statement. Dr. Michael Nesheiwat, the county health commissioner, said Putnam “has seen a sharp rise in positive cases related to social gatherings and parties. The spike that is occurring locally is a result of our actions. Whether you are in closer proximity to Brewster, or you are further west, nearer to Peekskill, it is clear that our numbers are rising, and we all must make responsible choices to keep our families and our neighbors safe.”
■ Despite a COVID-19 upswing, Philipstown Supervisor Richard Shea said at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Town Board that he hadn’t heard anything from the county. “I don’t see any action or public announcements,” he said. He encouraged residents to continue taking precautions. “It’s not going to be good if people start flouting” the restrictions designed to contain the spread of the virus. “And I feel that on the other side of the county there’s been some of that,” he said. “I know there’s fatigue out there, but you get tired of being dead, too.”
■ On Nov. 19, Putnam Deputy County Executive Tom Feighery joined the county executives from Dutchess, Orange and Ulster on a teleconference to urge residents to avoid congregating with people outside their immediate households, which they said has helped spread the virus. According to Feighery, Putnam saw a link between casual social gatherings at Halloween and a doubling of COVID-19 cases six days later.
■ Specialist Bakim Alijaj of Beacon was among the members of the New York Army National Guard recognized this month with a commander’s challenge coin for staffing 15 COVID-19 drive-through test sites from Long Island to Buffalo over the past seven months. Alijaj, who is assigned to the medical command, worked at the SUNY Albany site.
■ The state on Nov. 16 introduced a web application, created with Google, to direct New York residents to benefits.
■ Cuomo announced that, effective Nov. 13 at 10 p.m., bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers will be required to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Restaurants will be allowed to provide curbside, food-only, pick-up or delivery after 10 p.m. In addition, indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people.
■ Dutchess County has seen an uptick of COVID-19 cases because of outbreaks at Marist College and a rehabilitation center in Fishkill. “We’re not seeing a spillover into the community,” said Dr. Anil Vaidian, Dutchess’ health commissioner, in a video posted on Nov. 9.
■ The StoryScreen Beacon Theater in again showing films. Tickets are available only online and patrons must wear a mask whenever they are not seated and social distancing will be maintained between each party attending the movie together.
■ Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie said it would limit visitors for adult patients effective Nov. 6 because of an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Hudson Valley.
■ The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley on Tuesday (Nov. 3) announced it had awarded $258,600 in Pivoting to Respond grants to nonprofits contending with COVID-19. Some regional services also received funds from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Regional recipients were Arts Mid-Hudson, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Mid-Hudson Library System and the Worker Justice Center of New York. In Dutchess, the recipients included The Arc Mid-Hudson, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County, Dutchess Outreach, Hudson River Housing, Mental Health America of Dutchess County, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County and Unshattered. In Putnam, recipients included Camp Herrlich, CoveCare Center, Ecological Citizen’s Project, Garrison Art Center, Mental Health Association in Putnam County and Second Chance Foods.
■ Cuomo on Nov. 2 questioned a requirement by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all states agree to provide the name, address, date of birth, ethnicity, race, gender and a unique personal identification number for anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccination if and when one is available.
■ The state on Oct. 31 announced new quarantine rules for travelers coming into New York to allow them to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours, they must obtain a test within three days of departure from the other state and quarantine for three days. On Day 4, they must obtain another test. If both tests are negative, they may exit quarantine on receipt of the second negative test. For those who were in another state for less than 24 hours, the person does not need a test or to quarantine but must take a test four days after his or her arrival in New York. All travelers must continue to fill out the traveler information form upon arrival into New York state.
■ After allowing vehicle owners to put off getting their annual inspections done, the state said that the extension would end on Nov. 3. Under an earlier executive order, the governor said inspections that expired after March 1 would remain valid. He initially set a deadline for Oct. 5, then pushed it to Nov. 3 and on Thursday (Oct. 15) said that would be the last extension. The deadline also applies for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations that expired after March 1 and haven’t yet been renewed.
■ The state has established a COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 844-863-9314 for mental health counseling and resources. Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access 24/7 emotional support services. For more information see omh.ny.gov.
What If I Feel Sick?
You’re feeling ill, with a cough, fever, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. What should you do?
“It’s important to emphasize that the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 remains low,” the Putnam Hospital Center advises patients on its website. “Most infected people will experience mild upper respiratory symptoms.
“Some people, including the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart disease, are at greater risk and may require more intensive care and/or hospitalization.”
If you feel ill, the hospital says the first step is to contact your doctor. Many offer “virtual” visits by teleconference. If you visit your doctor’s office or an urgent care, call first to let them know of your symptoms. Only go to the emergency department or call 911 if you are in urgent distress, and let the dispatcher know that you may have been exposed to COVID-19.
If your doctor believes you have COVID-19, he or she can order a test, which allows you to make an appointment by phone at a drive-thru facility. At the facility, a sample will be collected and sent for testing.
For general questions about COVID-19, Putnam Hospital Center operates a hotline staffed by nurses daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 888-667-9262. A representative for the hospital said that most callers (1) ask about symptoms and what to do if exposed to someone who has COVID-19; (2) believe they have symptoms, in which case they are referred to their doctor; or (3) ask how they can donate equipment such as masks, anti-bacterial soap and, in one case, a pediatric ventilator.
The hospital has a list of commonly asked questions and responses posted at nuvancehealth.org. The state Department of Health also has a hotline at 888-364-3065 that is open around the clock to answer general questions or for information about testing sites.
■ Questions? Dutchess County posts updates at dutchessny.gov and has a hotline at 845-486-3555. Putnam County posts info at putnamcountyny.com. New York State has a hotline at 888-364-3065 and a webpage at coronavirus.health.ny.gov, which is also where you can find a testing site. The state also created an email list to provide updates. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posts updates at cdc.gov.
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