Hudson Valley Coronavirus Rates Remain Stubbornly High

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Coronavirus positivity rates are higher in the Hudson Valley than any other region of the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a briefing Wednesday.

The region's 7-day average of 4.76 percent is even higher than Long Island and New York City. By comparison, the neighboring Central New York region has an average of just 0.93 percent. The statewide average is 3.5 percent.

"It's up to us," Cuomo said, encouraging people to continue following pandemic protocols to keep each other safe.

In the Hudson region, the average is affected by high positivity rates in two counties: Orange and Sullivan.

Both counties also have posted lower than average vaccination rates. In Orange County, the vaccination rate was 21 percent, and in Sullivan the rate was 23 percent as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. Across New York State, 28 percent of the population has been vaccinated. Elsewhere in the region, Westchester has vaccinated 31 percent, Ulster 30, Dutchess 27 and Rockland 26 percent, according to state health officials.

More than 8 million doses have been administered in the state since the vaccine rollout in mid-December. The number of eligible New Yorkers expanded to 15 million Wednesday from 11 million, as people age 50-59 are now allowed to seek appointments.

Dramatic increases in vaccine supply are near, Cuomo said.

"In April, May, June the focus will be vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate," he said. "The citizen side is, you have to come and get it."

Seven people died from COVID-19 in the Hudson Valley Tuesday, including one in Dutchess, one in Rockland and five in Westchester, according to the state dashboard.

While New Yorkers rebuild, we need to protect ourselves for the future, the governor said. He introduced a new, free citizen public health course created by Cornell University.

The course, developed by Cornell's Master of Public Health Program, is a four-part online training program to equip New Yorkers with expertise and tools to help build and support community-led initiatives for prevention, detection and response in the event of public health emergencies.

Participants who complete the course will be designated a "NYS Citizen Public Health Leader" and will be informed about how they can volunteer in support of their local public health operations - especially during emergencies - as well as how to find, use and share verified information about public health matters from reliable sources.

"It will put you in a position to protect yourself and your family and your neighborhood," Cuomo said.