Vaccine updates in Oneida County, hopes for end of surge

UTICA, N.Y. » Oneida County hopes to soon see the end of this stunning COVID-19 surge that has lasted for weeks.

The tiniest downtick in county positivity rate, which Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente reported was 9.3% on Monday, then 8.5% Wednesday, after being in the 10% range for some time, could be the beginning of the descend from this recent peak, he said. At least he hopes. The county executive noted that this was the first decrease in positivity rate since November, though it’s still way to high, he said.

Things have been stark in the county and surrounding areas as COVID has reached new highs. On Saturday, Oneida County saw its single deadliest day, with eight reported virus-related deaths. Another seven were reported Tuesday. As of Wednesday, there are 6,699 active positive cases county-wide.

What may perhaps swoop in and more rigorously define a downward trend in infections is the rollout of the vaccine to the next group, group 1b. The county is handling its vaccine point of distribution, or “pod”, at Mo

hawk Valley Community College, quite well Picente said, averaging around 200250 vaccines administered a day. The goal is for this number to only go up.

While Picente says the vaccine is the key to getting things back to normal, he also urges residents to remain diligent in keeping COVID at bay. Wash your hands, wear your mask, and keep your distance from others, he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that those 65 years of age and older are now also eligible for vaccination, along with those younger than 65 with comorbid conditions. The news comes after recent guidance announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The state’s limited supply to localities is the biggest block to a more numerous vaccine rollout, Picente said, and this continues to be true as the eligible vaccine group grows larger.

“I urge patience as unfortunately there are far more eligible Nyers than there is vaccine supply from the federal gov,” Cuomo tweeted Tuesday.

As it stands, doses are tight, and quickly filling appointment slots have been reported in Oneida County.

Oneida County reported receiving an additional 1,300 COVID-19 vaccine doses Tuesdat that will be distributed at the MVCC site in Utica. That brings the total number of doses Oneida County Government has received so far to 4,300.

Appointments for vaccine distribution are required and currently booked through Jan. 15.

Residents are encouraged to check in multiple times to land a spot at their chosen vaccination center. Visitors might experience periodic outages and error messages when booking online due to an overload of requests to the New York State Department of Health website which serves as the portal to direct appointment scheduling.

The county government’s pod at MVCC operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m by appointment only. Additionally, Kinney Drugs has announced that its pharmacies will take part in vaccinating those 75 years old or older, only. Those interested should visit Kinney Drugs online to fill out the proper forms and schedule an appointment.

Picente said the county is hoping to expand its pod locations as well as the available hours once more “vaccinators” have applied for the job and are ready to hit the ground. Plans of a potential drive-thru style pod at Griffiss Airport are also in the works, Picente said. This site could potentially open this weekend.

He proclaimed that residents will get vaccinated as quickly as possible in line with how many doses the county receives. “[Doses] are not going to be sitting on a shelf in Oneida County,” he stated.

To spread more information regarding the county’s vaccination efforts, new data has been added to the county’s online COVID-19 dashboard. Residents can now see how many vaccinations have been distributed each day from various distribution points.

As of Wednesday, Oneida County’s pod has administered 1,390 doses. Mohawk Valley Health System has distributed 6,707 doses and Rome Hospital 2,476 doses. Other distributor data from places like clinics, pharmacies, and urgent care centers are also being collected.

Residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities will continue to be vaccinated through a federal program, separate from countybased efforts, according to state reports.

Though scheduling your COVID vaccination is encouraged online, there are still ways over the phone to get connected. The state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hot- line is open 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., 7 days a week, and can be reached at 1-833-697-4829

Contacting your health care provider may also be a good start to find a vaccine.

Additionally, Picente encouraged older residents without internet access to contact the Oneida County Office for the Aging, at (315) 798-5456, or the county health department, at (315) 798-6400, to get help finding and scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination.

NYS has an online tool to help residents determine their eligibility and find a location. The Oneida Daily Dispatch is interested in reporting on the experiences of those who have gotten vaccinated in Oneida and Madison counties to spread awareness and information. What’s your profession? Why did you get vaccinated? What was the quality of your experience? If you’re willing to participate and answer questions such as these, please contact Reporter Carly Stone at cstone@oneidadispatch.com