HOSPITALIZATIONS NEAR RECORD
Mid-Hudson hospitals dealing with surge of patients
KINGSTON, N.Y. » A healthcare operator of two Dutchess County hospitals said that COVID-19 patients have now stretched to the facilities’ capacity.
Dutchess County is nearing record hospitalizations, reporting 152 on Thursday. On Jan. Jan. 27, 2021, the county reported a high of 172 hospitalizations.
Thursday’s hospitalization report was 12 higher than what the county reported the previous day.
Ulster County does not report its hospitalization numbers on its dashboard.
Sarah Colomello, a spokeswoman for Nuvance Health, said hospitals run by the company are adjusting. The company operates Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.
“What is atypical is the number of acutely ill COVID-19 patients showing up in our ED (emergency department), requiring hospitalization,” Colomello said in a statement. “Under normal circumstances, our hospitals’ capacity fluctuates, but we certainly have experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases following the holiday and many of our beds at Vassar and Northern Dutchess are full.”
“Our staff are fatigued — this is not how they wanted to start off their New Year,” she added. “To help us manage, we have voluntarily postponed some elective surgeries. At the same time, some ‘elective’ procedures truly are urgent, so we are evaluating each on a case-by-case basis.”
Other actions have been taken, Colomello said.
“We have also been able to implement parts of our surge plan, expanding capacity, and have the ability to transfer patients to one of our six sister hospitals, depending on the patient’s level of care needed as well as capacity,” Colomello said.
Nuvance Health primary care doctors have hundreds of appointments available for people with COVID-19 symptoms with no need to be an existing patient, Colomello said.
“We’ve set up these doctors’ schedules so they can see anyone — adults and children — with symptoms to provide guidance, order testing, etc.,” Colomello added.
Those can be booked at: https://www.nuvancehealth.org/ covid-19-hub.
Westchester Medical Center Health Network, the company that owns HealthAlliance of the
Hudson Valley hospitals on Mary’s Avenue and Broadway in Kingston and MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, said it is also prepared for an influx of COVID-19 patients.
“Like elsewhere in New York State and around the country, WMCHealth hospitals have seen an increase in patients with COVID-19 infection,” the company said in a statement. “Current staffing levels at WMCHealth hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and provider practices are appropriate, and our workforce continues to provide care in safe and comfortable environments.”
“Community members should not delay seeking care if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, another illness or injury,” the statement said.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said during a Facebook live stream event Thursday, that the county hospitalizations had reached 38, with four of the patients in intensive care units. Ryan said that number was reaching the high point, but did not specifically indicate that highest rate.
Ulster County said Thursday that it is nearing 4,000 active COVID-19 cases. The government reported 3,892 cases, surging upwards by up 352 cases from what was reported the previous day.
The county also reported two additional deaths, bringing the total to 328 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
The county has had 27,343 confirmed cases and 23,123 recoveries.
In Dutchess County, the COVID-19 caseload declined 125 cases from its all-time high to 6,245.
The county reported two more deaths Thursday, bringing the COVIDrelated death toll to 543.
Duchess County also reported it now has a total of 49,214 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. It has had 42,426.
Vaccination rates
Data as of Thursday from New York state’s online vaccine tracker.
• Ulster County: 71.66% fully vaccinated, 79.1% with at least one dose of a twodose regimen, 87.7% of 18+ population with at least one dose.
• Dutchess County: 66.27% fully vaccinated, 74.3% with at least one dose of a two-dose regimen, 83.3% of 18+ population with at least one dose.
Appointments: vaccinateulster.com, bit.ly/dut-vax, bit.ly/ny-vaxme.
In the schools
Here are the latest reports of COVID cases in area school districts.
• Kingston: One student, one staff at George Washington Elementary School; two students at J. Watson Bailey Middle School; one teacher at John F. Kennedy School; three students, three staff at the high school and one student, one teacher at Robert R. Graves Elementary School.
• Highland: 15 high school students and two teachers; and two students at the middle school.
• New Paltz: Two students and one teacher at Duzine Elementary School; and 20 students, one teacher, and one staff at the Lenare Elementary School.
• Onteora: Three high school students; one student at Phoenicia Elementary School; and one staff at the Woodstock Elementary School.
• Rondout Valley: One student each at Kerhonkson Elementary School and Rondout Valley Intermediate School; and four students at the high school.
• Saugerties: Two students and two staff at Morse Elementary School; three students at Mount Marion Elementary School; two students and one staff at the junior high school; and seven students, two teachers, and one staff at Saugerties Senior High School.
• Wallkill: Five students, two staff at John Borden Middle School; one student, three teachers at Leptondale Elementary School; two students, one teacher and staff at Ostrander Elementary School; six students at Plattekill Elementary School; and 15 students, one teacher and seven staff at the high school.
• Ellenville: Two students, one teacher, one staff at the elementary school; and six students, one teacher at the high school.
• Marlboro: 12 students, one staff at the high school; five staff and one student at the elementary school; and three students at the middle school.
• Pine Plains: One student at the Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center; and five students, one staff at the high/junior school.
• Red Hook: Four students at the Linden Avenue Middle School; one student at the Mill Road Intermediate School; two students at the Mid Road Primary School; and five students, one staff at the high school.
• Ulster BOCES: One staff at the BOCES Ulster Special Education Center and five students at the Career and Technical Education Center.
• High Meadow: Three students.
• Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, New Paltz: Two teachers.