COVID caseloads continue to decline

Active cases of COVID-19 in Ulster and Dutchess counties continue to decline steadily, the two counties reported Friday.

Ulster County reported 1,329 active cases of the illness, down from the 1,407 it reported Thursday and the recent high of 1,925, reported March 27.

Dutchess, meanwhile, reported Friday that it had 1,081 active cases, down just two from the number reported Thursday but substantially lower than the recent high of 1,436, reported March 26.

Active cases in both counties peaked in the second half of January — amid the nationwide post-holiday surge and before the vaccine rollout gained traction — then fell sharply for about a month, climbed throughout March, and now have fallen to levels not seen since early December.

Ulster County has had 14,138 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the local outbreak began in March 2020, as well as 12,562 recoveries and 247 deaths. No additional deaths were reported Friday.

Ulster on Friday reported 62 new COVID diagnoses out of the most recent 1,371 test results received, a positivity rate of 4.5%, up from the 2.8% rate reported Thursday.

Dutchess has had 27,720 confirmed cases of the COVID since last March and said Friday that its seven-day rate of positive test results was 4.28%, unchanged from the rate reported both Thursday and Wednesday.

Dutchess said on Friday that 64 county residents were hospitalized with COVID, down three from the 67 reported the day before and well below the late-January peak of 172.

Dutchess reported no additional COVID-related deaths on Friday, leaving its total since last spring at 433.

According to the New York state vaccine tracker, 83,705 Ulster County residents, or 46.9% of the population, had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine as of Friday, and 53,797 (30.1%) had completed the two-dose regimen.

In Dutchess County, according to the state, 124,315 residents, or 42.3% of the population, had received at least one COVID shot as of Friday, while 78,877 (26.8%) were fully vaccinated.

Appointments to be vaccinated at state-run sites, including the one at the Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz, can be made online at covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov.

Appointments to be vaccinated at the Ulster County-run site at Hudson Valley Mall in the town of Ulster can be made online at vaccinateulster. com, and Dutchess County’s vaccination sign-up site is bit.ly/dut-vax.

Rent relief

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and city of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison announced Friday that more than $1.1 million is available to residents from a COVID-19 Emergency Rent and Utility Relief program for low- and moderate-income households adversely affected by the COVID pandemic.

Tenants, including those living in a legal rooming house or other single-room housing, are eligible for up to six consecutive months of rent and utility assistance. Past-due lot rent tenants who live in manufactured homes also are eligible for assistance. Tenants can apply for funding directly or landlords may apply on behalf of tenants. The assistance is paid directly to the landlord.

Dutchess County is allocating $930,000 to the program, and Poughkeepsie is allocating $200,000.

For more information, go to bit.ly/dc-rent. To apply for aid, go to bit.ly/ dcrent-apply. The deadline to apply is May 17. Awards will begin no later than June 15 and continue for as long as funds are available.

Vassar College

College President Elizabeth H. Bradley says Vassar, in Poughkeepsie, will return to fully in-person learning this fall and resume most pre-pandemic policies and protocols. The college is requiring that all students be vaccinated against COVID.

The fall semester at Vassar will begin Monday, Aug. 30, and end Friday, Dec. 17.

In the schools

Newly reported cases of COVID-19 in area school districts are as follows, according to New York state.

• Kingston: One on-site student and one off-site student of Crosby Elementary School, and two offsite high school students.

• Ellenville: One on-site student at the elementary school, one off-site middle schooler, and one off-site high schooler.

• Highland: Two on-site middle schoolers.

• Red Hook: One on-site high school student.

• Saugerties: One onsite student at Riccardi Elementary School.

• Wallkill: One on-site staff member of the high school. For local coverage related to the coronavirus, go to bit.ly/DFCOVID19.