Ulster reports 7 deaths over the weekend
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Ulster County reported seven COVID-19 deaths over the past two days, a spike in fatalities that put the total death toll at 126.
The county had 145 new positive cases in the 48 hours, including 74 out of 1,501 tested on Sunday, a 4.9% positivity rate.
The county’s COVID dashboard noted that 199 individuals had recovered and the active caseload actually dropped over the weekend from 2,093 to 2,034.
Since the pandemic began, Ulster has had 5,199 confirmed cases and 3,039 recoveries.
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The Ulster County Jail announced Monday that 20 inmates have tested positive for COVID with 18 more inmates out of 171 still awaiting results. According to Det. Lt. Abram Markiewicz, 11 corrections officers and six Ulster County Sheriff’s Office deputies are either currently COVID positive or quarantining, pending test results.
The county last Thursday announced that 17 inmates, all from one housing unit, plus five corrections officers tested positive.
By the numbers
Dutchess County reported another death due to COVID on Saturday, bringing the number of fatalities to the virus to 215.
The county had 148 new cases, but also listed 168 recoveries. The total active caseload dropped from 1,532 to 1,511.
To date, Dutchess has had 10,238 confirmed cases and 8,512 recoveries.
In the schools
• The Rhinebeck Central School District, after being notified that three staff members at the Chancellor Livingston Elementary tested positive on Friday, elected to switch to remote learning for its schools for the short Christmas week.
• Saugerties was notified Monday by the Ulster County Department of Health that five students — two from Cahill School, two from the junior high, one from Riccardi Elementary — all tested positive for COVID. The district was also informed that a junior high student, a high school student and another student at Mount Marion Elementary have been cleared. A staffer at Riccardi has been removed from designated positive status. Saugerties remains in remote learning through Jan. 8.