Putnam COVID-19 Death Toll Rises By 6

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — As coronavirus vaccinations continue to slowly roll out in Putnam, six more people have died of COVID-19 in the county.

In the past week, as the number of Americans killed in the pandemic rose above 400,000, the death toll in Putnam rose to 74. SEE: HV Marks 3,814 Coronavirus Deaths As U.S. Toll Passes 400,000.

The number of people hospitalized at Putnam County Hospital dipped slightly to 25. There were 643 more cases confirmed.

Most of the county's cases have come since Thanksgiving. The total reached 6,301 cases by Jan. 14, compared to 2,722 confirmed cases as of Nov. 27.

Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell praised the county health department for establishing COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites, and called for the public’s patience.

New York state's weekly allocation of coronavirus vaccine, which is distributed by the federal government, has been dropping, and local and state officials are calling for more shipments.

"New York State is prepared to accept a larger vaccine allotment from the federal government—and Putnam County is also ready to receive additional vaccine supplies," Odell told Patch. "We anticipated a potential slow-down leading up to and immediately following the changes in administration, and are hopeful that the distribution will ramp up in the coming weeks."