The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Oneida County unveils ‘We’ve Been Vaccinated’ decals
The county also expanded its vaccine waiting list
UTICA, N.Y. » Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente recently announced that the county will provide decals to businesses and residents as a unifying symbol to recognize who’s been vaccinated.
Picente also revealed that the county’s excess vaccine waiting list has been expanded to include those aged 18-49 and that more than 100 more homebound residents will be vaccinated this week.
“The key to pushing through to the other side of this pandemic is to vaccinate as many people as possible,” Picente said. “Whether it’s expanding the eligibility to more of our community, reaching more people who have limited access to dosages, or reassuring customers, family, and friends that our businesses and homes are safe and protected, we must move Oneida County forward.”
Encouraging more and more people to get vaccinated is important because only when herd immunity is reached, which Picente noted was when around 70% of the community has been vaccinated, can a true sense of normalcy return to Oneida County and throughout the Mohawk Valley region.
Picente unveiled the county’s new “We’ve Been Vaccinated” decals which encourage people to “Come On In” to local businesses and homes that have been fully vaccinated. The decals can be obtained from the county free of charge after a form is filled out affirming that the staff of a business or members of a household have achieved full vaccination. Monthly self-attestation must then be maintained with the county, which will establish an online list of participating businesses that residents can browse through.
Applications for the decals can be found online. The decals are expected to become available in the coming weeks as vaccine eligibility continues to expand throughout New York state.
The county is now accepting registration from county residents aged 18-49 who want to be notified when excess vaccine doses are available at county-operated vaccine sites. Those who apply will be put on a waiting list and contacted for an appointment regardless of state eligibility requirements. Registrants will be contacted by email, text, or phone should the opportunity arise.
The waiting list can be accessed on the county’s website.
The list is not exclusive to county residents, but in-county residents are prioritized as the list is time-sensitive; getting to the vaccination site in a timely manner on the same day is important for these openings, Picente explained. Those who sign up should expect to be asked to show up to the vaccination site the same day they are contacted.
Finally, the county executive stated that more than 100 residents who are homebound due to a disability or mobility impairment are being vaccinated this week by the Oneida County Health Department. Last week, close to 400 home residents were vaccinated through a partnership with Upstate Family Health Center, Picente said.
Those who would like to be considered for future homebound vaccination appointments should call (315) 7985439.
Those who will be returning to the county vaccine point-of-distribution (POD) at the location of the former Jcpenny in Sangertown Square for their second dose can expect a much better setup and more efficiency this weekend, Picente assured.
“There were some issues” Picente admitted of the POD’S flow and efficiency in the past. “The setup will be much improved and we will correct the deficiencies that occurred. My apologies to anyone who was impacted by the delays or by some of the conditions of that situation.”
As of March 24, Oneida County has 477 active COVID cases. 12 patients with COVID were hospitalized in county, three out of county. A little over 40,000 residents are fully vaccinated (have received all necessary doses), according to the county’s online COVID-19 dashboard.