Ulster County, Kingston work to ease reopening

A “one-stop-shop” of Ulster County government services has been launched to better serve residents as the region reopens from the coronavirus-related shutdowns.

County Executive Pat Ryan announced the creation of the Ulster County Recovery Service Center during a Facebook Live event on Thursday.

“Now more than ever, COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of local government and the daily role that we must play in assisting our residents,” Ryan said in a press release about the program’s launch. “The Ulster County Recovery Service Center is an exciting new initiative that will make it easier for our residents to get the support they need.”

Ryan said the initiative is actually an expansion of the COVID-19 hotline set up early in the crisis.

Many initial callers had questions about the disease itself, how it spreads, where testing was available, and how to stay safe, Ryan said. Now, amid the reopening process, the queries are becoming more varied, pointing to the need for a onestop method of providing information.

“Over time, what we saw as we started to get the public health aspect more under control, we still got many calls, more calls, but a different set of needs,” Ryan said.

The center is staffed by people who can provide information about a variety of topics, and information also is available through an online chat service, the executive said.

Live agents, who are employees of several county departments, are available via phone, at (845) 4438888, or email, at RSC@ co.ulster.ny.us, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Off-hours questions can be submitted through the county’s COVID-19

chat bot at ulstercountyny.gov/coronavirus.

Topics for which information is available include mental health, business, employment, food assistance, housing, skills training, social programs and business loans, among other things.

Ryan said the Recovery Service Center is a “single place” where “all residents of the county can reach out get answers and help.”

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In other local coronavirus-related news:

Kingston Mayor Steve Noble said Thursday that Kingston will be instituting a “Dining and Retail Outdoor Expansion Program” throughout the city.

The program will allow the use of public spaces for outdoor dining and openair shopping, and in some cases might temporarily

close select streets to vehicular traffic, the mayor said.

To request the use of specific outdoor areas, businesses must contact the mayor’s office at (845) 334-3902 or rverspoor@kingston-ny. gov. The businesses then will be sent the city’s guidelines and a resources packet.

The city plans to provide the outdoor business space through the end of October.

“When we have a sense of how many restaurants and shops are going to participate, and how much space they will need, we will inform the public of potential parking restrictions, possible road closures, along with days and times,” Noble said in a press release. “The ... program will help ensure businesses have every resource to operate successfully during the COVID-19 economic recovery. I also think it will be a fun

experience and will create more ways to re-engage with family, friends and our city this summer.”

By the numbers

Ulster County on Thursday said it had had 1,770 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1,248 recoveries and 83 deaths since the outbreak began. It said 439 cases were active.

Dutchess County reported 4,022 total cases, 458 active cases, 3,419 recoveries and 145 deaths.

Greene County reported 312 cases, 17 active cases and 18 deaths.

Columbia County reported 408 cases, 34 active cases and 37 deaths.