9 HV, LI Communities Among NY's Least Vaccinated

NEW YORK — Nine communities in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island are under a microscope as state officials start to focus on places where the COVID-19 vaccination rate is significantly lower than the statewide average.

The impetus is clear: once 70 percent of state residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, restrictions will be lifted for both commercial and social settings, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his Monday coronavirus briefing.

"Our progress on vaccinations has been instrumental in making it possible to reopen our economy and lift many of the restrictions, but the vaccination rate has slowed dramatically," Cuomo said.

State health officials released the names of 175 communities in the bottom 10 percent for vaccination rates. None has a vaccination rate above 36.2 percent, far below the statewide rate.

As of Tuesday, 68.9 percent of New Yorkers age 18 and up have received at least one dose of vaccine, Cuomo said. Nationwide, the vaccination rate is 63.7 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Local communities on the list:

• Wawarsing 12489, Ulster County, 14.8 percent
• Monsey 10952, Rockland, 17.6 percent
• New Hyde Park 11042, Nassau, 20 percent
• Monroe 10950, Orange, 27.4 percent
• Hempstead 11549, Nassau, 28.4 percent
• Spring Valley 10977, Rockland, 28.6 percent
• Cuddebackville 12729, Orange, 31.5 percent
• Mount Marion 12456, Ulster, 32.4 percent
• Greenvale 11548, Nassau, 34.3 percent

The community with the lowest vaccination rate in the state, based on zip code data, is Willard, in Seneca County, with a vaccination rate of 8.6 percent.

The state will begin targeting the 175 communities, Cuomo said.

"We welcome any additional resources and outreach by New York State in helping to get Rockland residents vaccinated," county spokesman John Lyons told Patch. "As you’ve likely seen, people are most comfortable getting vaccinated at places they know and have existing relationships. To aid these efforts, we will be hosting a webinar for healthcare providers to discuss the best practices and latest insights in addressing concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines."

Rockland has been working with community leaders, municipalities and local providers to share educational resources and coordinate outreach and vaccination efforts, he said. "Our Department of Health, along with local providers like Good Samaritan Hospital, Refuah and others have hosted numerous pop-up clinics throughout Rockland and we will continue to do so as we work towards getting more people vaccinated."

Cuomo announced Tuesday that the coronavirus positivity rate in the state has dropped to 0.51 percent, the lowest in the country.