A scene from a fair gone past. (Photo by Will Dendis)
Repeated calls from local officials and residents for a large state-run vaccination site to be located in the Hudson Valley have been answered. First came the announcement of a temporary site at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, which will operate from March 5-10, and today the governor announced two more long-term locations: the gymnasium at SUNY Orange in Middletown and the Ulster County Fairgrounds, 249 Libertyville Road in New Paltz.
According to the state, the locations are expected to launch in the coming weeks, and details including appointment scheduling information and hours of operation will be released in the coming days. Once appointments are opened, eligible New Yorkers will be able to schedule appointments using the state’s ‘Am I Eligible‘ website or by calling the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).
The Ulster County Executive’s office didn’t have any further details, but it did offer a statement from Pat Ryan.
“This is a big win for our residents,” said Ryan. “After strongly advocating for a dedicated site here in Ulster County, I’m glad that New York State has answered my request and will be standing up a state-run site at our County Fairgrounds. This site, in addition to our county-led sites, will greatly bolster access to this life-saving vaccine for our residents and will allow us to continue to ramp up our vaccination efforts. I want to thank New York State for their willingness to partner with us to ensure that we can vaccinate our residents in a safe, rapid and equitable way.”
In the meantime, Ulster County will continue to operate its existing POD sites throughout the county based on available supply.
The announcement is more good news on the vaccine allotment front. Last week, both the county and local pharmacies received several times more doses than they had in any previous week.