As Putnam County concudes its mass covid vaccination and testing programs, County Executive MaryEllen Odell thanked the many volunteers, professionals and businesses who have worked together to keep county residents as safe as possible during the pandemic.
Public demand for COVID vaccines and COVID tests plummeted in the past few weeks as the number of Omicron cases and hospitalizations sharply declined. Because of the lack of demand, the Putnam County Department of Health held its last vaccination clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The drive-thru rapid tests sites run by the county and its partner, Ambulnz, ended in Philipstown on Wednesday, Feb. 9 and in Carmel on Friday, Feb. 11.
Making vaccinations and testing accessible to the entire population from east to west was a task that Putnam took on when there were no state-supported sites in the county, County Executive Odell said.
“A remarkable collaboration of dedicated volunteers, government agencies, and private-sector businesses and professionals have all helped our community get through the worst of the pandemic,” County Executive Odell said. “Chief among those who deserve our thanks is Dr. Michael Nesheiwat and his team at the Putnam County Department of Health who worked tirelessly for the past two years and continue to give as much today as they have since the beginning of the pandemic.”
The County Executive also thanked the volunteers in Putnam County’s Medical Reserve Corps. In 2021 alone, corps volunteers logged a total of 2,430 hours, including one volunteer who dedicated 174 hours singlehandedly. They worked indoors and out, sometimes in inclement weather, and we will never know how many lives they helped save.
Ambulnz, the county’s partner in running the testing sites, stepped in at short notice and conducted thousands of COVID tests, giving our residents information they needed to help control the spread of Omicron. At the height of the surge, Ambulnz tested 600 to 700 people a day. By February, tests administered dropped to the single digits on some days.
The county’s Bureau of Emergency Services and local police and fire departments devoted time to helping organize the mass vaccination and testing sites.
COVID Vaccines and tests are now widely available at pharmacies and doctors’ offices. The county has distributed nearly 16,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits through towns and villages, BOCES has given more than 40,000 rapid tests to the school districts in Putnam and New York State distributed 1.5 million rapid tests to nursing homes and adult care facilities statewide.
Dr. Nesheiwat said the health department vaccinated more than 25,000 residents since the department’s first mass vaccination clinic opened last year.
“The good news is that more than 72 percent of Putnam County residents have completed their primary series of COVID vaccination,” Dr. Nesheiwat said. “Still, it is important to stay up to date on vaccines and remember that getting boosters enhances your protection and that of your families and communities. This is true not only for COVID, but also for many other vaccine preventable diseases, such as measles and tetanus.”
Now that COVID vaccines and boosters are widely available through healthcare providers and pharmacies, Dr. Nesheiwat said, residents should remember that the Putnam County Department of Health’s immunization program is still year-round.
“If you are travelling and need special immunizations, or if you need vaccinations for any of the 14 serious, but preventable, childhood diseases, we are here to help.”
Putnam residents looking for more information or appointments are encouraged to call PCDOH immunization program directly at 845-808-1390, extension 43230.