Friday, April 15, 2022 Chairman’s press release

NUMBERS RISE; COUNTY REMAINS ‘LOW RISK’

COVID-19 cases As of Thursday, per the CDC, Columbia County’s rate of new COVID-19 cases remains in the low risk category.

Also as of Thursday, the CDC-reported current average of new daily cases per 100,000 of population stood at 8.9. The positive test rate is 7.5 percent.

Although New York State has lifted the mandate for mask wearing while inside a business, local health care officials continue to encourage the wearing of masks while indoors, particularly for those with health problems.

Additional information on daily COVID-19 cases and more can be found on the Columbia County Department of Health’s website at https://www.columbiacountynyhealth.com

From the DOH Director

“For the fourth week in a row Columbia County has seen a bump up in positive COVID-19 cases, with this past week representing the largest jump in numbers,” said Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb today.

Last week the county had 64 positives for the week, with this week jumping to 99. “If we go back a month we had 45 cases that week, so we’ve doubled the number of cases in four weeks,” said Director Mabb. Despite the substantial increase, he remains optimistic that this surge will be short-lived. “Warm weather is coming and with just three people in the hospital today and none of the three in the ICU, I think we’re still in pretty good shape.”

The department held another second booster clinic at Columbia-Greene Community College Thursday, with 83 people getting vaccinated, Director Mabb said. That number is down from130 last week. The DOH will keep its Thursday clinic open for the rest of April, with the links already open on its website for April 21 and 28. That clinic runs from 3-5:30 pm.

County vaccination and infection rates

As of Saturday, April 9, the Columbia County Department of Health had administered 11,280 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Second doses now number 9,558. The vaccine administered is Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson. Note: J&J – a one dose vaccine – is added as a first shot.

Third shots of Moderna or Pfizer now number 3,973. Johnson & Johnson boosters number 63.

Pediatric first shots number 584, with 571 second shots.

The total number of Columbia County residents by all vaccine providers, as shown on the NYS COVID-19 vaccine tracker website:

45,420 have received at least one dose, or 75.8 percent of the county’s 59,916 population.

In the community

Since 2013 Our Community Cares, Inc. has been assisting Columbia County residents in need. The only requirement is the individual needs to reside in Columbia County. This organization is 100 percent volunteer-run and funded entirely on individual donations and private grants. The pandemic did not stop the need for people needing assistance that were diagnosed with cancer, or who have lost their home to fire, so we adjusted our procedure for safety in regard to face-to-face contact. On average we assisted 40 families a year by distributing grants to cover medical and other expenses, food, utilities, as well as assistance to veterans in need through our Veterans Program. We also act as a liaison between other organizations in the county to assist individuals and families.

Our volunteer directors delivered food from local pantries to the homebound and assisted other groups fighting food insecurity such as the Salvation Army and Columbia County Recovery Kitchen. Some of our volunteers shopped for home bound seniors for most of the pandemic.

Thanks to The Chatham Berry Farm, we were able to create a fresh produce program which assists five families weekly in Columbia County. Since early March 2021 over $8,000 worth of produce has been donated. We also created two new funds, a Pediatric Fund as well as a Senior Fund, in order that that we can assist these two groups who are so very vulnerable.

While our one time assist fund applications have been increasing due to inflation, we have continued to assist families who are going through a hardship. More information on Our Community Cares, Inc. can be found at ourcommunitycarescc.org or by emailing us at [email protected].

Submitted by Dawn Steward, president, Our Community Cares, Inc.

Student testing, home testing and affirmation reports

Due to low response, the county DOH has discontinued the school COVID testing PODs. The DOH will continue to provide testing for students and staff of Columbia County schools who need a negative test to return to school. This will be by appointment only at the DOH Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:45- 3:30 p.m. Parents may contact (518) 828-3358 X1251 to schedule these appointments when needed. This testing will still only be for staff/students of Columbia County schools who need a negative COVID test to return to school.

Also available on the county DOH website is information on filing home testing reports as well as affirmation letters of quarantine and/or isolation that may be required by employers.

Upcoming DOH vaccination clinics

The Columbia County Department of Health is offering first, second, and third doses of COVID-19 vaccines as well as boosters for those aged 16 and above at Columbia-Greene Community College every Thursday in April from 3- 5:30 p.m. The DOH will offer a pediatric (ages 5-11) Pfizer clinic at this clinic. Those who are receiving boosters or subsequent doses of vaccine should bring their vaccine record card.

Future clinics will be held on a walk-in basis – registration links will no longer be posted. Further information is posted on the county DOH website at columbiacountynyhealth.com.

Disclaimer It is the county’s intention to issue accurate information regarding the coronavirus situation under conditions that can change by the minute. For the most up-to-date, accurate information, visit the County Department of Health’s website at https://www.columbiacountynyhealth.com or their Facebook page @: https://www.facebook.com/Columbia-County-Department-of-Health-469399129790791. The state’s coronavirus website, with up-to-the-minute information, can be located at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home. Every Friday afternoon, Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell will issue a press release on the coronavirus situation. The releases can be found on the Columbia County website and the Facebook pages of the Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Health, and the Emergency Management Office.