Putnam Offers 2 COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Putnam County residents seeking COVID-19 vaccines can register online for the health department's next two clinics, which are coming up Tuesday and Feb. 1.

Sign up for shots here; they are available by appointment only, no walk-ins.

• First and second dose Pfizer will be available for the 5 to 11-age group.
• Moderna boosters will be available for individuals 18 years and older.
• Pfizer boosters will be available for individuals 12 and older.

Both clinics are from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday's clinic will be held at the Claudio Marzollo Community Center in Philipstown. The clinic on Feb. 1 will be in Carmel at Putnam Plaza, in the former Dressbarn location.

Putnam’s vaccination rate — individuals with a completed primary series of coronavirus vaccine — was 71.5 percent as of Thursday, the most recent data available. Vaccination rates in all Putnam communities except Lake Peekskill and Mahopac exceed those in the state, health officials said: Lake Peekskill (zipcode 10537) was at 65 percent and Mahopac (10541) was at 68.2 percent.

Putnam health officials were investigating eight clusters of coronavirus cases with 90 linked cases as of Thursday. The settings included three long-term care facilities, two rehabilitation centers, one residential school, and one group home, officials said.

Overall, the county, with a population of about 100,000 residents, saw the rate of new cases per 100,000 people drop to 1,230 on Jan. 19 from 2,240 on Jan. 12.

"Transmission remains higher than at any previous time period during the pandemic, but indicators show a downward trend," Putnam County Health officials said on their coronavirus dashboard. "A similar pattern is being seen at the state level with regional differences based on timing of peak. Incidence is currently highest in NYC, Central NY, and the Mid-Hudson Region."

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Putnam Hospital began trending up after Thanksgiving, as did the number in the ICU and intubated in the ICU.

There were 50 residents of Putnam County admitted to hospitals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the most recent 7-day period ending Jan. 19. That compares to 59 admissions in the previous 7-day period.

"Admissions appear to be trending down but need to be monitored over a longer time period to see if this trend is maintained," health officials said.

Fourteen people have died in Putnam County of COVID-19 since Dec. 1.

Tuesday is the health department's last scheduled clinic in Philipstown. A final clinic will be scheduled Feb. 8 in Carmel. To find other nearby locations, visit vaccines.gov. Currently, there is vaccine availability in Putnam at pharmacies as well as healthcare providers.

COVID vaccines can also be scheduled at health department immunization clinics. For further information, call the health department at 845-808-1390.