Tioga County Brief

As vaccination rollout continues, Tioga County’s Public Health Department is working to get notifications of available clinics out to the public as quickly as possible. The notifications are normally posted on the department’s Facebook Page; but we must caution, available appointments fill up quickly.

Frustration has grown over the vaccination process, as confusion mounts for residents that don’t have access to a computer, or maybe aren’t familiar enough with the process to grab a slot.

After assisting several residents with the process, I was able to gain a better idea of how to gain a time slot. Here is some of what I learned.

Those seeking a vaccine need to go to the New York State eligibility site at https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov, or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829), often. When large-scale distribution sites are established around the state, they will be listed on the site as either having vaccines available, or unavailable.

Currently, New York State and neighboring Pennsylvania have opened the vaccine up to those with qualifying co-morbidities. You can visit the eligibility site listed earlier to see if you qualify.

The distribution sites, however, are not the only areas where vaccines are being administered. Many drug stores, to include Walgreens and CVS, are now offering the vaccine, and have information readily available on their website. The same is true for stores like Wegmans, and even select Tops locations.

And don’t forget about your healthcare providers, like Guthrie, UHS, and others. They are also receiving, and then administering the COVID vaccine with appointments posted online when the supply is available.

For those that might need a bit of help navigating through this process, you might see if you can locate a family member with a computer to assist. You can also call the 1-888-NYS-4-VAX number, but you must be patient; and when appointments are available, you must act quickly.

It is hoped, as we go through this process, that the vaccine schedule will become simpler for all to navigate, and that those desiring a shot in the arm are able to get one.

In the meantime, and as of Friday morning, Feb. 26, there were 76 active cases of COVID-19 reported in Tioga County. Since March 2020, there have been 2,832 confirmed cases reported, and 69 COVID-related deaths.

You can see the percentage results by county, and find all things COVID related at https://forward.ny.gov/; for county information, visit https://covid19.tiogacountyny.com.

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