Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced Tuesday that Ulster County has topped 100 active COVID-19 cases for the first time since May 24, a month after the first-case of the highly-contagious Delta variant was announced in the county.
Ryan said in a press release that Ulster County has had 168 positive cases of the virus since June 27 when the first Delta variant case was announced. The county executive said 70.2 percent of the new cases are from residents who are unvaccinated and he encouraged all unvaccinated residents to do their part and get the shots.
So far, 74.8 percent of Ulster County residents over the age of 18 have received at least one shot, Ryan said.
While those vaccinated may still get COVID-19, the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that the vaccine will make the illness less severe for those who get sick.
“While we have made great strides in fighting this virus, we are not out of the woods yet, and the Delta variant poses a real threat to our ability to fully recover from the pandemic,” Ryan said. “The science is clear, the new variant is spreading at an alarming rate and it is overwhelmingly impacting those who have yet to be vaccinated. We are all in this together, and I am asking everyone who has yet to receive the vaccine to do so for their neighbors, their family and themselves.”
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Delta variant represents 83 percent of cases circulating in the United States. The CDC also states that this variant carries a viral load that is more than 1,000 times that of those infected with earlier forms of the virus. This allows the virus to spread very rapidly among unvaccinated individuals, Ryan cautioned.
Ryan said officials have reactivated Ulster County’s Emergency Operation Center to evaluate next steps.
For more information on how to get a vaccine visit VaccinateUlster.com.
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