COVID Brief for the week of April 4, 2021

COVID-19 is still prevalent within our communities, with the legislature sadly announcing another death related to the virus last week; thus bringing the total to 72, to date, in Tioga County, N.Y. And as of Friday morning, active cases were holding steady at 89, bringing Tioga County’s total, since the onset of the pandemic, to 3,220 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

There is a bit of hope for some, however, on the horizon. Vaccine rollout is in high gear, and the eligibility has been widened. Beginning last week, New York residents 30 years of age and older were able to begin scheduling their vaccines. 

And although locating vaccine availability can be frustrating, organizations like Tioga Opportunities, Inc. have stepped up to assist those that need help navigating the Internet. They can be reached at (607) 687-4120 for more information.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo also announced an expansion of the New York Forward Rapid Test Program to help businesses and events safely reopen, with 25 new sites opening on Thursday, April 1, and ten more sites opening within the next two weeks for a total of 70 sites, statewide. You can learn more about the Rapid Test Program online at https://forward.ny.gov/ny-forward-rapid-test-program. 

For vaccine information, visit https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov. For eligibility information, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). You can also visit the COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard Tracker at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/covid-19-vaccine-tracker.