Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan yesterday said the worst of the local COVID-19 outbreak is over.
“For the first time in over two months, I feel confident in saying that we have turned the corner here in Ulster County,” said Ryan. “We are not through it yet, but we have absolutely turned the corner and that’s all thanks to everyone that has done their part to follow the PAUSE order, to do social distancing, to wear masks, all the things that we’ve asked, so thank you. We still have a lot of work ahead but I’m more optimistic than I’ve been in awhile.”
Ryan pointed to the number of new positives per day, which has fallen from around 50 to around 20 even as overall testing has increased.
Other indicators were also falling, said Ryan. Hospitalizations, for instance, fell from over 30 in early to mid April to 11, and ICU bed and ventilator use has fallen from just under 10 each to 1.
Active cases, which refer to individuals who are currently infected and does not include those who have recovered or died, also seem to have peaked.
The charts above come from Ryan’s Thursday afternoon Facebook Live update.
As of Friday afternoon, the county has 1482 confirmed cases and 54 fatalities.
In other COVID-19 news:
- Antibody testing for first responders HealthAlliance is now offering voluntary COVID-19 antibody testing to first responders at their Broadway Campus in Kingston. The antibody testing may show if you have ever been infected with the virus, even if you didn’t have symptoms. Interested First Responders may call 845-303-2730 from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to schedule appointments.
- Testing for anyone The Rite Aid at 351 Flatbush Avenue, Kingston will offer testing beginning Monday, May 11. Testing is free of charge and available to anyone over the age of 18, with or without symptoms, no prescription required. Instead of outdoor tents, patients will arrive at their appointed time and receive a self-test kit through the drive-through drawer. Testing will be completed in the confines of the patient’s car, sealed by the patient, and then handed back to the Rite Aid pharmacists through the drawer. Alternatively, some sites may use a drop box type kiosk for testing to be deposited and collected by Rite Aid personnel to minimize contact. (It’s not clear which method the Kingston location will use.) Appointments can be made beginning Sunday on Rite Aid’s website. Each location will be able to process 50-100 tests a day.
- Eviction moratorium extended 60 days Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that the moratorium preventing evictions of commercial or residential tenants has been extended to Aug. 20.
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