Dutchess County Issues Coronavirus Public Health Alert

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — In light of the rising coronavirus transmission rates following the holiday season, Dutchess County's health officials issued a public health alert Wednesday.

The county Department of Behavioral and Community Health is recommending mitigations measures including masks, vaccinations and boosters.

"Since Thanksgiving, the seven-day average case rate has almost tripled, and hospitalizations have more than doubled, in Dutchess County and the Mid-Hudson region," the alert reads. "While the percentage of New Yorkers fully vaccinated continues to increase, the uptick is not fast enough to completely curb the spread of this highly transmissible virus, particularly among communities with low vaccination coverage. The above finds demonstrate the necessity for increased adherence to multiple prevention strategies."

The health department, in partnership with the Dutchess County Board of Health, supports a multilayered approach to contain the coronavirus to include education and guidance about common-sense mitigation measures.

• We strongly urge all Dutchess County residents, businesses, and visitors to employ all available mitigation strategies to reduce community transmission including mask-wearing, social distancing, vaccinations, boosters, testing, participation in contact tracing, and education to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

• All persons able to medically tolerate a face-covering/mask, regardless of vaccination status, should wear anappropriate face-covering/mask while in any indoor public place. Businesses and other entities requiringmask-wearing in their establishments have a right to enforce this requirement.

• Wear high-quality masks, such as surgical masks or KN95, whenever possible. They are more protective than cloth coverings.

• Get the COVID vaccine for all household members age 5 and older. If you are age 16 or older, fully vaccinated and your last dose was at least six months ago (two months if you received the J&J vaccine), get a booster. While full vaccination is still great protection against severe disease and hospitalization, boosters are your best protection against becoming infected in the first place. For appointment information, go here.

• Get your flu shot. There is a resurgence of influenza this year, and you will want to keep yourself less vulnerable to COVID, or to severe flu that can also lead to hospitalization or death.

• We strongly urge all Dutchess County residents to engage in practices that improve their immune systems and overall health, especially this winter. A healthy diet, adequate sleep, generous hydration, avoidance of tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, regular exercise, and proper hygiene including frequent handwashing are all important to support immunity. A healthier immune system can help reduce an individual’s vulnerability to infection and ability to spread the virus.

For more information, visit the Dutchess County Coronavirus (COVID-19) website.

This article originally appeared on the Mid Hudson Valley Patch