No increase in Ulster’s vaccine allotment

KINGSTON, N.Y. » The state has allotted 1,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Ulster County this week — the same amount as last week, even though eligibility for the shots has been expanded.

Assistant Deputy County Executive Daniel Torres said Tuesday that the county Department of Health Department received 700 doses, which will be administered at the county vaccination centers in Kingston and Ellenville, and 800 doses went to pharmacies and other providers.

On Monday, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan called the state’s continued small allotments to the county “outrageous” and “unacceptable” given that, under New York’s new eligibility rules, about 120,000 of Ulster’s nearly 180,000 residents now qualify to be vaccinated.

Including this week’s allotment, the total number of doses shipped to Ulster County is less than 14,000.

The county this week launched a color-coded priority system for COVID shots that aims to give residents a better idea of when they can expect to be vaccinated.

The categories break down as follows.

• Red: Persons over age 75 with a qualifying health condition, and essential workers in the state’s 1B eligibility group with an underlying condition. Based on the current supply, vaccinations for this group would be complete by the end of April.

• Orange: Persons between ages 65 and 74 with an underlying health condition, and essential workers without an underlying health condition. Estimated completion of this group’s vaccinations: End of June.

• Yellow: Adults of all ages with a qualifying health condition, and persons 65 and older without a qualifying health condition. Estimated completion of this group’s vaccinations: End of October.

• Green: Any priority group as directed by the state Department of Health. Estimated completion of this group’s vaccinations: To be determined.

Complete information about COVID inoculations in Ulster County can be found online at vaccinateulster.com.

By the numbers

Ulster County reported Tuesday that it had 1,830 active cases of COVID as of Monday, down from 1,878 two days earlier and the pandemic peak of 2,622 reached on Jan. 30.

On its online dashboard of COVID information, Ulster said 35 newly confirmed cases of the illness brought the total to 10,323 since the local outbreak began last March, while there also have been 8,268 recoveries.

The county also reported one additional COVID-related death since Sunday, for a total of 225.

The 35 new diagnoses reported Tuesday were out of the most recent 778 test results received by the county, a positivity rate of 4.5%.

Dutchess County on Tuesday reported 1,099 active cases of COVID, down from 1,146 reported the day before.

The county’s death toll from the illness was unchanged at 395.

Dutchess has had 20,943 confirmed cases of COVID since last March and 19,449 recoveries.

The county’s latest rate of positive test results was 4.3%.